School of Social and Political Science

Background

My lived experiences of being a United States Peace Corps volunteer (Burkina Faso 2010 – 2011) — coupled with my years of fundraising for non-profits — give me a unique perspective into the academic debates on accountability, decision-making, participation, and NGOs.    

I hold a Master of Science in Peace Operations (think mediation, negotiation, and conflict resolution), a Public Policy degree from George Mason University, School of Social and Political Science (2014). 

I have over 13 years’ experience working with non-profits in the United States and have been a professional fundraiser and writer for 11 years. I have written and researched for the International Peace and Security Institute (2014) with my work reaching over 40,000 readers a week. I worked in the fundraising branch of the Aga Khan Development Network (2015 – 2017) which conducts sustainable international development projects for tens of millions of people in over 30 countries. I was the Manager of Donor Relations and Stewardship for Howard University (2017 – 2019), where I designed and implemented fundraising programs that mobilized Howard’s 200,000 alumni donors to support student scholarships. Prior to becoming a University of Edinburgh PhD student, I was the Development Operations Director for Planned Parenthood, managing fundraising teams across 6 different states in the US and raising millions of dollars for reproductive health services (2019 – 2022).   

I am the Vice President of Golden Thread — a woman-owned consultancy specializing in helping equitable and inclusive organizations fundraise. As a subject matter expert in supporter stewardship, capacity building, and inclusive writing, I consult and work on a variety of projects.