Meagan Downey has helped nonprofits of various sizes and mission areas realize aggressive growth and diversification in their fundraising programs for over two decades. She started her career as a “one-woman development shop,” leading fundraising and external affairs for human services organizations in the Chicago area. In her role as Vice President of Development and Marketing for two large health care organizations, she built and led teams focused on major gifts, capital campaigns, grant writing and annual fundraising.
She has served both as a consultant and as a senior management team member to create and execute strategic plans, and has directed federally funded capacity-building projects nationally. Her volunteer leadership experience includes serving as Vice President for the United Way of the North Shore (IL), board chair of a theater company, and Governor Phil Scott’s Appointee to the Vermont State Rehabilitation Council for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
Meagan Downey lives in Vermont and provides counsel to nonprofit clients across the country in her role as Senior Vice President of TWB Fundraising, one of the nation’s top fundraising consulting firms. She also lectures at the undergraduate and graduate levels on nonprofit management, communications, and building a culture of philanthropy. She has an MBA from Champlain College and a BA in Psychology from DePaul University. She obtained a Certificate in Fundraising Management from the Lilly School of Philanthropy, Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis in 2006 and has been a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) since 2009.
