Colleen Knight has over 30 years’ experience in the nonprofit sector leading small nonprofit organizations analyzing, optimizing, and managing the relationships between people, processes, and profit to increase mission impact. Her mission is to empower small nonprofits to reach their full potential by strengthening organizational capacity, refining programmatic initiatives, and developing sustainable revenue strategies.
Colleen obtained a Bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in writing from Northern Michigan University in Marquette. She holds certifications in nonprofit and volunteer management, HomeTown Competitiveness organizing, Dale Carnegie Leadership Training for Managers, Practical Approach to Project Management, Lean Office, Six Sigma Green Belt Training, Lean Startup Training, and Economic Development.
In her two decades of experience as the Branch County Community Foundation's chief executive, Colleen honed her operational management skills with small staff and small budgets. She served on several boards, including regional workforce development, early childhood, and tri-county health plan management.
Areas of Expertise:
-Capacity building
-Organizational development
-Annual planning (strategic plan implementation)
-Leadership
-Strategy-based staff development & performance evaluation
-Revenue diversification/sustainable revenue strategies ("dual bottom lines")
-Procedures manuals and systems documentation
-Process improvement
-Financial oversight
-Board development/governance
-Project management
-Fund development
-National Standards certification and re-certification
Foundation Experience:
-Association for Black Economic Power
-Branch County Community Foundation
-Healthy Living With A Vision Foundation
-Ocular Wellness & Nutrition Society (OWNS)
