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
melissaIrish

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.

bioPics
  • 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
  • Melissa Irish has been a reliable partner for CVNL over many years. As faculty for CVNL’s Excellence in Leadership Program, Melissa consistently delivers quality content to nonprofit leaders building their strategic fundraising abilities. She is an engaging and responsive facilitator who always focuses on learner needs and different learning styles so that participants feel ready to apply what they’ve learned. The experience and expertise Melissa shares is invaluable to CVNL and our nonprofit community.
    Scott Peterson
    Director of Training, CVNL
  • 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
  • Melissa and I consulted on feasibility studies and capital campaigns, and serve on the AFP Golden Gate Board together. Melissa is an excellent strategist and communicator. I was always impressed with her creative and innovative strategies and her ability to effectively communicate complex ideas. Working alongside her strengthened my skills as a consultant.
    Wanda Scott
    Founder, Wanda Scott & Associates
Our Team

Andy Eber

Senior Advisor

Andrew Eber began raising funds in 1970, so that Los Angeles inner-city kids could participate in Scouting and escape to summer camp. Among other roles in Development, for 16 years, Andy served as the Executive Director of the Marin Community Health Foundation and as part of his responsibilities, led six capital campaigns benefitting two hospitals. For 6 years, he served as Director of Development for Guide Dogs for the Blind, managing a program that generated $20-25m, in annual operating revenue. Andy has served as development counsel to dozens of non-profits seeking charitable investors to support their missions. He considers this his most satisfying role. Andy Eber holds a master’s in social work from UC Berkeley.

Marcella-Brawley

Marcella Brawley

Lead Consultant

Marcella believes that the heart of fundraising is building and strengthening connection and community.  She is a seasoned, values-based leader and passionate fundraising professional with on-the-ground experience spanning more than 15 years. She is also a certified professional coach through the Coach Training Alliance. Marcella has dedicated her career to mission-driven work for a variety of non-profit organizations ranging from large, national charities like the American Red Cross to local, community-based organizations like the Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT.) In this time, she is proud to have built, strengthened, and led successful annual, major gift and planned giving programs, capital campaign initiatives, and has coached teams to fundraising success. She 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.  

She is a native San Franciscan who deeply appreciates the rich diversity of communities, foods, arts, culture and landscape that the Bay Area has to offer. 



Our Team

Lisa Folsom-Ernst

Associate

Lisa Folsom-Ernst has been helping North Bay nonprofits build capacity, articulate impact, and raise money to fuel their services for the past 20 years. She received her MSW from Hunter College in New York City, and while working to develop social services for formerly homeless families in the Bronx, became convinced that funding was key to any mission-driven organization’s ability to succeed. For this reason, she pivoted to raising funds for nonprofits, primarily in the human services/social justice sector. Most recently, Lisa served for 12 years as Development Director for Becoming Independent, one of the North Bay’s largest and strongest organizations serving adults with developmental disabilities. She worked closely with the CEO and board of directors while growing a strong development team that made significant gains in individual gifts, grants, special events, and legacy commitments. During her tenure, annual giving increased five-fold. Lisa admires those who are passionate about making the world a better, more equitable place, and enjoys playing a supportive role in bringing their dreams to fruition.

Our Team

Shoshana Grammer

Associate

Shoshana Grammer believes fundraising has the power to create the social change we want to see in the world and helps us to be better humans to each other. She has devoted her 30-plus year professional career to advancing the missions and fundraising programs of local, national, and international nonprofit organizations. She has served as the West Coast Director for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, American Diabetes Associate Research Foundation, and CARE USA. She has served as Director of Development for leading national and local organizations including hospitals, healthcare organizations, independent schools, and universities. As a consultant, Shoshana has led feasibility assessments, development audits, and capital campaigns for a number of independent schools and nonprofit organizations such as RYSE Center, The San Francisco School, Northern Light School, New Roads School, Prospect Sierra School, St. Francis High School, BRIDGE Housing, and many more. She is a native Clevelander and has lived in California for almost four decades.

 
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