Shelley Loethen, GPC

Founder, President & CEO

Shelley is a social entrepreneur and nonprofit strategist working to break down barriers in the sector that discourage innovation, collaboration, and impact. She launched her company more than a decade ago as a solo grant consultant where she had the privilege of working with nonprofits of all sizes in service areas including health care, behavioral health, arts and culture, food insecurity, and education. This work gave her insight into the changes they were making in people’s lives and our communities. It also gave her a sobering look at the obstacles that they face as they work on the front line of our most serious social challenges.

 

She has built the Encore Institute for Social Impact with a team that shares her belief in the potential of the nonprofit sector and her bold vision to change the landscape in which they operate. She is leading innovative efforts that challenge long-held beliefs about how these entities should operate and advocating for practices that help mission-driven organizations create vibrant communities where people thrive.

 

Shelley graduated magna cum laude from the University of Missouri-Columbia, holds the Grant Professional Certified (GPC) credential, and is a certified Scrum Product Owner. She is active in the Grant Professionals Association at the local and national levels, having served as an officer, committee member, and national conference presenter. She is passionate about increasing the capacity of nonprofits and is a respected presenter known for delivering workshops to nonprofit professionals across the U.S. that deliver results that deepen the skills of participants in meaningful ways.

Catherine Hooper, GPC, MA

Director of Strategy & Engagement

Catherine is a skilled nonprofit strategist, grant and program designer, degreed technical communicator, and natural connector. She has more than a decade of nonprofit experience including social services, physical and behavioral health care, homelessness prevention and shelter, and workforce development. She is a skilled project manager who excels at helping nonprofit teams design effective and sustainable programs with a focus on client-centered, outcome-driven interventions. Catherine’s favorite role is helping organizations solve complex problems. She has written or been part of grant teams obtaining more than $50 million in support during her career.

 

With roots in Kansas City and Colorado, Catherine’s passions include international travel, hiking, dabbling in fiction, and comic book fangirling.

Mallory Gobet, GPC

Sr. Grants and Projects Strategist

Mallory is a champion of nonprofits who is passionate about helping make the world a better place. She brings 10 years of experience in the nonprofit sector serving agencies focused on education, youth development and mental health services. Since she began at Encore in 2021, she has worked with nonprofit organizations of all sizes to improve their grant-seeking strategies and increase their fund-generating portfolios.

 

Mallory graduated from Northwest Missouri State University with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism and a minor in art. She is an alum of the Health Forward Foundation’s Healthy Communities Leadership Academy (2016), holds the Grant Professional Certified credential (GPC, 2021), and most recently became a Registered Scrum Master (RSM, 2023).

 

Mallory resides in Lee’s Summit, Missouri with her husband, two sons, and dog, Olive. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, skiing in the winter, and soaking up the sunshine all summer long.

Andrea Lombard, GPC, LSM

Sr. Grants and Projects Strategist

Andrea is a highly skilled nonprofit professional with over 15 years of extensive experience in the field. She is a writer and communicator with diverse expertise working with boards, donors, staff, and volunteers. A Michigan transplant and Michigan State Spartan alum, her fundraising work began while in college. Andrea’s background includes work in higher education, health care, emergency food systems, early childhood education, youth development, local government, and literacy-focused nonprofits.

 

In addition to her nonprofit and grant professional skills, Andrea is a seasoned project manager. She is a Registered Scrum Master (RSM). She is critical to Encore’s agile project management frameworks, helping internal and external teams structure and manage their work successfully.

 

Andrea is a member of the Grant Professionals Association (GPA), a past board member of the Association of Professional Fundraisers (AFP) Mid-America Chapter, and holds a Grants Professional Certification (GPC). With knowledge in annual giving, grant writing, special events, project management, and volunteer oversight, Andrea is precise and efficient in her comprehensive service to clients.

 

Andrea, her husband, and their pre-teen daughter live in Johnson County, Kansas, with their two yellow labs. She is an avid reader and enjoys sharing the magic of books with her daughter, Alex.

Rozanne Prather

Owner, Rozanne Prather Consulting

An Encore Strategic Partner

Rozanne is a development and communications professional who partners with CEOs, development directors, and socialpreneurs to maximize their organization’s donor engagement, fundraising capacity, and community impact.

 

After serving in rewarding executive roles for nearly 15 years at two of the city’s cornerstone organizations – Catholic Charities and Truman Medical Centers – she launched Rozanne Prather Consulting where she walks side-by-side with organizations of all sizes, sectors, and complexities. In partnership with Encore, Rozanne shares strategy, innovation, and expertise nonprofits need most: from cultivating major gifts, to crafting on-brand messaging that resonates with donors, to developing back-of-house systems to support successful fundraising.

 

Rozanne has raised tens of millions of dollars for exceptional causes, always with a positive approach to building donor relationships that result in mutual joy. “At its best, philanthropy inspires joy and gratitude in both the giver and receiver of the gift,” she says. “It’s an experience that never gets old, and a privilege I never take for granted.”

 

A lifelong Kansas Citian, Rozanne is passionate about her family, friends, food, fitness, and travel.

Danielle Schaefer, GPC, MPA

Grants and Projects Strategist

Originally from Lee’s Summit, Missouri, the nonprofit sector has been part of Danielle’s life since she was 8 years old. Danielle grew up watching her family engage in the world of philanthropy through the family foundation started by her grandparents. It inspired her to dedicate her life to the same work. She received a Bachelor of Arts from William Jewell College in Nonprofit Leadership and a Masters of Public Administration with an emphasis in Nonprofit Management from the University of Missouri – Kansas City. In 2022, Danielle became Grant Professional Certified through the Grant Professionals Association.

 

Danielle’s experience includes consulting, grant management, capital campaigns, and donor development with nonprofits in a variety of focus areas that include youth development and education, health, and arts and culture. She has also spoken at numerous UMKC and William Jewell College classes, APRA (American Prospect Research Association) conferences, and other similar venues. In addition to her work directly in the nonprofit community, she hopes to continue to inspire younger generations to become philanthropists.

Marcia Ziglinski

Administrative Support Specialist

Marcia’s primary role is to assist the President/CEO and others in Encore leadership with a variety of projects in different areas, as well as clients and members of the team in various ways to achieve the greatest possible impact.  She is a fairly recent arrival to the nonprofit realm, following her choice to stay home and raise her children, putting out fires domestically while her husband did so locally for the Kansas City Fire Department.  The seeds for her new vocation were sewn in her first career, when, as a music educator at a school in a low-income area, she was exposed to the adversities of existence through the eyes of her students.  These children, who came to school carrying not books, but wide-ranging burdens, planted in her a desire to transform those less fortunate.

 

To that end, Marcia serves predominantly backstage, facilitating the impactful efforts of the talented Encore players while additionally taking in webinars, conferences and classes in the field. Outside of work she’s a book-reading logophile; a peacemaker and a planner, who is dedicated to her faith and family.

Suzanne Alewine

Strategic Partner

Suzanne Alewine is a co-founder and partner of Community Asset Builders, LLC. Founded in 2001, Community Asset Builders’ focus is strategic development, providing individually-tailored services to a diverse array of non-profit clients. Customers include Federally Qualified Health Centers, hospitals, non-profit community-based organizations focused on at-risk populations, local public health agencies, statewide associations, state agencies and more. Team members provide strategic assistance, identifying tools and resources to design and sustain community and organizational processes and interventions, develop effective communication strategies, evaluate programs and services, and utilize technology for effective change and cost efficiency. From leadership development to strategic planning, resource development, procurement, quality improvement and program evaluation, Community Asset Builders provides comprehensive support designed to improve and optimize organization resources. Since 2003, the company has  assisted clients in garnering over $650 million in new and on-going revenue.

 

Suzanne holds an undergraduate degree in Business Administration and a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Missouri. She is a founding member of the Association for Community Health Improvement, is a past co-chair of the national Healthy Communities Network, and a graduate of the Health Forum’s Creating Healthier Communities Fellowship. She serves on the Board of Directors for HALO, a local and international organization which provides housing, healing, and education for homeless and at-risk youth.

 

The me that matters most…My husband Kevin and I reside in Jefferson City, Missouri, and we have three adult children, Erin, Hayden and Reagan, along with two cats and a dog. I’m a real person first – and I have the great fortune of being able to earn a living helping people who make sure those whose circumstances are different than mine are treated with dignity and respect. These values – family, empathy, compassion and service – are at the heart of everything I do.

Emily Derrick

Strategic Partner

Emily is a grant writer and nonprofit communicator. She has 9 years of experience raising awareness and vital funding for nonprofits addressing basic needs, food insecurity, youth development, violence prevention, and arts and culture.

 

Prior to launching Ad Astra Grant Consulting in 2021, Emily served as the Director of Development for the Anti-Violence Partnership of Philadelphia, where she raised and managed more than $5 million to support victims of violent crime. She has also served as the Foundation Relations Coordinator for Harvesters – The Community Food Network, a food bank that provides millions of meals each year in the Kansas City region.

 

Emily graduated from the University of Kansas with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism: Strategic Communication, a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, and a Minor in the History of Art. She is a member of the Grant Professionals Association.

 

Emily has Kansas roots, and currently resides in Madrid, Spain with her husband. In her free time, she enjoys reading, practicing her Spanish, international travel, and scuba diving.

Michaela Behymer

Grants and Projects Strategist

Michaela graduated from Emporia State University in 2022 with a degree in English and a genuine love for writing and research. Her favorite activity in college was building powerful and persuasive essays from the ground up, so naturally, she would investigate a career that would let her keep doing what she loves. In her eyes, grant writing was the natural path forward. She began her journey in nonprofits by volunteering, meeting industry professionals, and, most of all, learning. Since moving to Kansas City in 2021, she has never felt more a part of the community than she has since starting grant writing. One of her favorite aspects of the job is making connections and better understanding the needs of her community. She is a deeply curious and enthusiastic young professional who continuously evolves her nonprofit development skills.

 

Michaela currently resides downtown with her fiancé and two cats. In her personal life, she has a passion for arts and culture. Her hobbies include drawing portraits, studying Japanese and German, joining music leagues with friends, and watching the weirdest movies she can get her hands on.

Laura Moore

Strategic Partner

Laura is a nonprofit professional with over 20 years of experience. Her career has centered around program development, event planning, volunteer management and training, outcomes measurement, and post-award grants management. She has worked in youth development, community development and higher education.

 

She earned her earned her M.P.A. from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Bloch School and a Bachelor in Business Administration from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

 

She resides in Lee’s Summit MO with her two cats. She enjoys reading, traveling, and going to the theater.

YOU

Our Newest Associate

We’re always looking for top-notch talent locally and across the country for current and future openings.

 

If you’re interested in working with us, send your resume with a cover letter telling us why you want to join the Encore team and how your skills and experience can help our clients.

 

Our address is: PO Box 1553, Lee’s Summit, MO 64063

Or send via email to: Office@EncoreISI.com