At Focus Fundraising, you’ll work directly with principals at the firm. However, we believe in the value of collaboration so we join forces with select consultants to provide key guidance so you raise more money.
Our network of skilled colleagues provides expertise in fundraising messaging and case development, prospect research, board development, and event management. Together, we are all focused on helping you and your development team meet — and exceed — your goal
Click the photographs below to learn more about our team members.
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© Focus Fundraising, LLC
President
Specializing in major gift campaigns, strategic fundraising growth, and deepening board and staff development skills, Nadine has a proven record securing individual gifts, institutional support, and improving donor engagement to achieve results. Nadine has more than 25 years of experience in fundraising and, together with a team of consultants, provides guidance to nonprofits at Focus Fundraising, a firm she founded in 2010.
Nadine works with a range of organizations, including those with advocacy, social justice, environment, education, and culture-focused missions. Current and past clients include American Forests, the Center for Policing Equity, The Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Disability Rights California, The Sentencing Project, the MacArthur Justice Center, the United Nations Foundation, and many more.
Before establishing Focus, Nadine served for eight years on the senior management team of CulturalDC, an organization that partnered with real estate developers and arts organizations to drive community development. There, she directed annual fundraising and led two successful capital campaigns. Prior to that role, Nadine managed marketing and branding projects at Iconixx Web Development and was a program director at the Corcoran Gallery of Art.
Nadine is a Certified Fundraising Executive and is a past president of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, DC Chapter. She is currently the Vice Chair of the Board and Development Committee chair of Spur Local and is a member of Somos el Poder, a national Latine fundraising institute. Originally from Lima, Peru, she brings her diverse background and perspective to all client engagements. Nadine has an M.A. from The George Washington University and a B.A. from the University of Florida and is fluent in Spanish. She lives in Bethesda, MD, and she and her husband have two grown sons.
Consultant & Grant Writer
Jackie is an accomplished non-profit professional with over 15 years of success in relationship-based fundraising for nationally recognized foreign policy, public affairs and health and human service organizations. She is a skilled professional with extensive experience in bringing in revenue streams of $1M+ to nonprofits through cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of high-net-worth individuals, corporate sponsorships, grants and special events, and has a talent for providing excellent customer service to a wide range of key stakeholders and executive leadership.
Jackie began her development career in Atlanta as the Southeast Regional Coordinator for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. To pursue her passion for policy and advocacy, she moved to Washington, DC and became a development officer for the Brookings Institution, helping to manage a $21M annual revenue goal in the Foreign Policy Program.
As the Development Director for organizations such as the American Society of International Law and the Southeast Regional office of the Anti-Defamation League, Jackie succeeded in creating a culture of philanthropy by advising staff and senior leadership on how best to identify and move major donors through the giving cycle, leveraging data to encourage philanthropic investment, and researching potential donors’ ability and willingness to donate.
Most recently, she was the Senior Director of Major Gifts and Individual Giving for Make-A-Wish Georgia, spearheading strategies for year-end and mid-year giving campaign development.
Jackie graduated with a B.A. from the University of Georgia and resides in Atlanta with her elementary aged son and two adopted shelter cats.
Consultant
Gregg is an experienced fundraising and communications professional who has spent more
than 30 years in the Washington, D.C. nonprofit sector focusing on civil rights and marginalized
communities. He has extensive experience with all aspects of fundraising including major gifts,
special events, annual funds, foundation and government grants, planned giving and board
development.
Most recently, Gregg was on the management team at the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs as the Director of Development and Communications. Prior to the Committee, he was the Director of Development for the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia, the District’s largest, low-income legal services provider. Previously, Gregg directed the national events programs for the Human Rights Campaign, the leading LGBTQ+ organization for the U.S., and served as a key fundraiser for Whitman-Walker, a nationally recognized health organization that focuses on underserved communities in the D.C. region.
Gregg is actively involved with the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and served as AFP DC’s president during its 50th anniversary. He also served on the Resource Development Committee of the D.C. Access to Justice Commission, which was created to improve the ability of low- and moderate-income residents’ access to civil justice system. In addition, Gregg has volunteered for many nonprofits throughout his time in DC, with a focus on arts and cultural institutions.
Gregg has a B.S. in marketing from Florida State University and lives in Washington, D.C.
Messaging Specialist
Leila works with nonprofits to tell meaningful, persuasive stories. A strategic communicator and skilled writer, she specializes in crafting powerful messaging that anchors communication and supercharges missions. In her role at Focus, Leila leads the messaging process to craft cases for support, annual reports, and campaign messaging. Her work has provided clients with the language they need to successfully raise funds from individuals, private foundations, corporations, and local and federal government agencies.
Leila’s expertise is rooted in nonprofit management and arts administration. She has extensive expertise in institutional advancement, from strategic program development to effective fundraising, budgeting, and financial management. During 14 years at CulturalDC, including as Deputy Director, Leila oversaw internal operations, led the programming team, and advised real estate developers incorporating arts uses into mixed-use projects.
Leila currently serves on Washington Latin Public Charter School’s Athletics Facility Planning committee to support the school’s ongoing capital campaign. Leila graduated from Bowdoin College and lives in Washington, DC with her husband, twin daughters, and Golden Retriever.
Marketing Assistant
Laura Johnson is a freelance writer, digital marketer, and social media strategist. Though originally from Minneapolis, she’s called New York City home for the past 15 years. Laura is a contributing writer for publications like Emerging and Tasting Table and has overseen digital marketing and social media strategies for small and start-up women-lead brands.
Laura is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City.
Consultant
Lauren Wiskerson, CFRE, is a strategic fundraising advisor with more than 15 years of experience helping mission-driven organizations design and execute sustainable funding strategies. She has secured millions of dollars in support of the arts, advocacy, community health, environmental conservation, environmental justice, and social impact initiatives through major donors, foundations, and government agencies.
Lauren is known for her donor-centric approach to fundraising. She partners closely with leadership teams to build authentic relationships with high-net-worth individuals, develop compelling cases for support, and strengthen stewardship practices that inspire long-term investment. Her work extends beyond individual gifts or grants. She helps organizations build the clarity, structure, and messaging required to cultivate strong philanthropic partnerships.
With deep expertise in grant management, Lauren oversees the full lifecycle of public and private funding, from research and proposal development to reporting, compliance, and renewal strategy. She brings precision and discipline to complex funding environments while ensuring proposals remain persuasive, data-informed, and aligned with organizational priorities.
Lauren serves as a trusted advisor to executive teams and boards. She supports prospect identification, major donor cultivation strategy, and cross-functional coordination to strengthen a culture of philanthropy across the organization. Her background in business administration, legal, finance, and communications enables her to translate complex programs into fundable strategies that resonate with sophisticated audiences.
Clients value Lauren for her thoughtful, strategic presence and her ability to bring clarity to complex initiatives. She asks insightful questions, listens carefully to organizational goals, and helps teams refine their ideas into strong funding opportunities. Her collaborative style, attention to detail, and commitment to integrity make her a trusted partner for nonprofit leaders working to secure resources and advance meaningful impact .
Sr. Prospect Researcher
Isabelle provides research services to Focus clients seeking new sources of support and details on their current donors’ giving interests and goals. Isabelle has extensive experience in the research field and is adept with numerous databases including Donor Search and Candid’s Foundation Directory Online, among others.
Prior to her work as a research consultant, Isabelle served as The Foundation Center’s Assistant Librarian for nearly three years, where she provided services and trained clients on research tools and techniques. Before that, Isabelle worked with the Philanthropic Initiative for Social Justice as an editor of their yearly report on the state of Racial Equity Issues in grantmaking organizations; and for the Paul G. Allen Foundation investigating program opportunities in Solar micro-grids in East Africa. Isabelle also worked for USAID, the United Nations, Catholic Relief Services and Care International working in refugee camps and famine assistance programs in Africa and Asia. Born in Havana, Cuba, Isabelle holds an M.A. in International Affairs and Development from Webster University, Geneva, Switzerland and a B.A. in History and African Studies from Kalamazoo College. She is fluent in French, Italian and Spanish.
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