Our Team

Our Team

Our team possesses a depth of experience in a wide range of fundraising services and will blend our wisdom with yours to transform challenges into opportunities.

We know what it takes to show up each day and get the job done. Every
member of the Lotus Consulting Team has held leadership roles as either Executive Directors, Development Directors and/or Board members. We bring a disciplined, collaborative and innovative approach to working with you to deliver results. We dedicate our full resources to your fundraising success. No problem too big or too small!

 

Melissa brings the “fun” into fundraising.

 

She believes EVERYONE can be successful attracting financial support. At its core, fundraising is about empathy, relationships and values - something all humans can understand.

Melissa Irish, MBA, is a seasoned resource development specialist with thirty years experience raising private sector funds for nonprofits with budgets from $100,000 to $40 million. She earned a BS in Health Sciences and Women's Studies and volunteered for a year in Nicaragua working with women and children in impoverished communities helping them access education, legal and health care services. Once back in the US, she spent a decade in senior development staff roles in health and human services, workforce development and the environment before completing her MBA.

In 2005 she established a consulting practice to serve nonprofits including assessments and planning, capital and major gift campaign consultation, feasibility studies and leadership training. Melissa specializes in creating effective individual giving programs excelling in helping organizations build their capacity to raise major gifts.

She applies innovative strategies from the for-profit arena to enhance the performance of nonprofit organizations. This unique perspective enables Melissa to understand the motives and priorities of diverse stakeholders and connect them with the organizations mission and goals. After seven years as Senior Managing Associate at Partnership Resources Group (PRG) specializing in major, capital and special gifts fundraising, in 2023, she launched Lotus Consulting, a full-service fundraising consulting firm bringing together a team of experts to continue this work and focus her clients on balancing margin with mission to unleash possibilities.

She currently serves on the Board of AFP Golden Gate Chapter and is a trainer for the Emerging Leaders Program for Center for Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership (CVNL). Her passions are sailing, international travel and soccer. She has two sons, 14 and 18, and lives in San Anselmo, CA.

Our Team

Melissa brings the “fun” into fundraising.

 

She believes EVERYONE can be successful attracting financial support. At its core, fundraising is about empathy, relationships and values - something all humans can understand.

Melissa Irish, MBA, is a seasoned resource development specialist with thirty years experience raising private sector funds for nonprofits with budgets from $100,000 to $40 million. She earned a BS in Health Sciences and Women's Studies and volunteered for a year in Nicaragua working with women and children in impoverished communities helping them access education, legal and health care services. Once back in the US, she spent a decade in senior development staff roles in health and human services, workforce development and the environment before completing her MBA.

In 2005 she established a consulting practice to serve nonprofits including assessments and planning, capital and major gift campaign consultation, feasibility studies and leadership training. Melissa specializes in creating effective individual giving programs excelling in helping organizations build their capacity to raise major gifts.

She applies innovative strategies from the for-profit arena to enhance the performance of nonprofit organizations. This unique perspective enables Melissa to understand the motives and priorities of diverse stakeholders and connect them with the organizations mission and goals. After seven years as Senior Managing Associate at Partnership Resources Group (PRG) specializing in major, capital and special gifts fundraising, in 2023, she launched Lotus Consulting, a full-service fundraising consulting firm bringing together a team of experts to continue this work and focus her clients on balancing margin with mission to unleash possibilities.

She currently serves on the Board of AFP Golden Gate Chapter and is a trainer for the Emerging Leaders Program for Center for Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership (CVNL). Her passions are sailing, international travel and soccer. She has two sons, 14 and 18, and lives in San Anselmo, CA.

  • Melissa did am amazing job conducting a feasibility study for my organization (Community Land Trust of West Marin). I was impressed with her extensive knowledge, experience, and skill in not only conducting the study, but in helping us clarify our goals and vision, and listening to all of the different perspectives that members of our team brought to the project. Melissa was a pleasure to work with, and was always responsive to our questions, concerns and shifts in our project timeline.
    Stephanie Roth
    Principal, Klein & Roth Consulting & Prior Major Gifts Officer, CLAM
  • We had the opportunity to work with Melissa during a campaign feasibility study for our organization. Our team greatly valued her leadership, professionalism, and ability to keep everyone on task. We left every meeting with a sense of direction and clarity on the next steps. In addition, we received very positive feedback from our stakeholders who participated in the study. We hope to continue working with her in the future!
    Sara Nathan
    CEO, Amigos de las Americas
  • I had the privilege to work closely with Melissa over the last 7 years and can attest to her excellent skills as a consultant and business leader. She played a critical role as our Senior Managing Associate at PRG and led fundraising projects large and small with grace and efficiency. I would highly recommend her for your next fundraising adventure whether it be preparing for a large capital initiative or training your board and team for effective solicitations, or anything in between. She will be a key to your success.
    Elliot Levin
    President and Founder, Partnership Resources Group LLC
  • Working with Marcella has been one of the best investments Canal Alliance has made in our development program. Since 2023, she has helped us meaningfully grow our major gift fundraising capacity—bringing both the strategic vision to see what's possible and the hands-on expertise to build the systems and processes that make it sustainable. She's reliable, creative, and somehow makes the hard work of fundraising feel energizing.
    Sara Matson
    Chief Development Officer, Canal Alliance
  • Janette Kennedy
    We are grateful for the wisdom that Melissa and Marcella brought during our work through a feasibility study and launch of our capital campaign. Their expertise, thoughtfulness, and deep understanding of our mission helped us gain clarity, confidence, and momentum. They are trusted partners who have helped guide us with both strategy and heart. We are deeply grateful for their leadership and support at this pivotal moment for our organization
    Janette Kennedy
    Executive Director of Development and External Relations for Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa

Marcella Brawley

Lead Consultant
Marcella is a champion of fundraisers—the individuals and teams doing the vital work of connecting donors to mission. She believes they are the real heroes, often without the glory, and she's always in their corner.

A values-based leader and coach, Marcella brings 17 years of frontline fundraising experience and a deep commitment to empowering development professionals to realize their own success and brilliance. She earned her BA in International Relations from Hawaii Pacific University and her MA in Asia Pacific Studies from the University of San Francisco before beginning her career in development. Working her way through progressive staff and leadership roles across organizations ranging from national institutions like the American Red Cross to beloved community organizations like the Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT).

At the Red Cross, Marcella honed her expertise in major gifts, working with some of the nation's most prominent philanthropists in an intensive, nationwide learning environment. This experience, combined with her natural ability to identify organizational strengths and untapped opportunities, has made her a sought-after strategic partner for nonprofits ready to build sustainable, values-aligned fundraising programs.

Marcella specializes in development operations, assessments, capital campaigns and strategic fundraising planning—helping organizations see what's possible and build the infrastructure to get there. She is a Certified Professional Coach through the accredited Coach Training Alliance, and brings a coaching mindset to all her client work. For her, fundraising success is as much about building the confidence and capacity of teams as it is about building donor pipelines.

Marcella serves on the Marketing Committee for Development Executives Roundtable (DER), the Advisory Board for MALT, and as VP of Fundraising for the San Francisco Symphony League. A native San Franciscan, she deeply appreciates the rich diversity of communities, foods, arts, culture, and landscape the Bay Area offers. When she's not working with clients, you'll find her exploring the city with her vibrant young daughter, her husband, and two Bernedoodles, Carmela and Mia.

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