About Us
Mary Robinson, Founder, Capacity Partners
Mary Robinson understands how to help nonprofit organizations succeed. She has helped hundreds of nonprofits – large and small – tackle tough challenges and deliver results.
A development and marketing expert, Mary is a creative problem-solver with broad experience in the nonprofit sector. She has led multi-million dollar divisions of national consulting firms, co-owned a fundraising software firm, managed product marketing at a major corporation, and served as a director of development. Known for her leadership in designing tools for major gifts fundraising, today Mary helps organizations design innovative strategies to raise funds and drive growth.
Mary is a peer reviewer for Maryland Nonprofits "Standards of Excellence" accreditation program and past member of the Montgomery County, Maryland Technology Investment Fund. She is a frequent speaker at professional organizations. Mary graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Brown University prior to earning a Master's Degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She lives in Bethesda, Maryland with her composer/musician husband and two wonderful teenagers.
Capacity Partners Team
The Capacity Partners consulting team includes the following associates:
Marion BallardJoan Ronnenberg
Julie Crudele Kate Tallent Design & Communications
Marjorie Goldman WealthEngine.com
Patricia King Jackson
Marion Ballard: Feasibility Studies, Board Development, Technology
Marion Ballard has more than 20 years of experience in fundraising, board development, and technology. Marion was the founder and president of DataPlus, Inc., a software development firm that developed fundraising software for nonprofit organizations, primarily independent schools. Marion brings extensive board and fundraising expertise gained in service to many Quaker organizations, including Sidwell Friends School and Sandy Spring Friends School. She is also actively involved with the Washington Area Women's Foundation. Marion graduated from Smith College, Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa, with a BA in mathematics. She received an MA in mathematics from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from American University.
Julie Crudele: International Development, Major Gifts
Julie Crudele is a senior development and marketing professional working primarily with large, complex international organizations. Most recently she was the senior advisor for grants and special initiatives at Planned Parenthood and served as the vice president of development and communications at CEDPA where she raised international funds for programs for woman and girls. Other positions include Executive Vice President of the Jane Goodall Institute and Vice President of Communications and Development at University Circle, Cleveland and many more. Her wide range of experience includes two endowment campaigns and consulting experience in direct mail marketing. Julie earned two master's degrees from Case Western Reserve University in International Health and Medical Anthropology.
Marjorie Goldman, CFRE: Foundation Research, Grant Writing
Marjorie Goldman, CFRE, is a successful grant writer and expert on foundation funding in the Washington metropolitan area. She has consulted with social service and health-based organizations such as CASA/Prince George's County, the Montgomery County Community Foundation, DC Appleseed Center, the Lupus Foundation of Greater Washington, The Arc of Montgomery County, American Forests, Mental Health Association of Montgomery County, the Epilespy Foundation. At full-time positions at the American Diabetes Association and Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, she managed special events and cause-related marketing programs on both national and local levels. She has been an NSFRE/AFP Mentor and Fundraising Day Track Dean. Marjorie received a B.A. in English from Colgate University.
Patricia King Jackson: Campaign Counsel, Board Development
Patricia King Jackson is a nationally-renowned development professional who has spent thrity-five years in fundraising for educational and academic medical institutions. She has had senior staff responsibilities at Bryn Mawr and Dartmouth Colleges, and she has served as the chief development officer in the fundraising programs at Fox Chase Cancer Center and Sidwell Friends School. During her fifteen years at Sidwell Friends, she raised over $85 million, bringing the annual cash flow from fundraising from under $2 million to over $10 million during that same period and winning the CASE Circle of Excellence Award in fundraising three times. As Vice President at Grenzebach Glier and later as an independent consultant, she has served clients as diverse as U. of Washington, Hood, Gallaudet, Chatham, St. Paul’s School, Interfaith Alliance and Friends of Choice for Urban Schools.
Joan Ronnenberg: Grant Writing, Arts Organizations
Joan Ronnenberg is a development professional with wide experience in the arts and in independent education.. She has performed event planning, annual giving, major gift solicitations, grant writing, and prospect research for Washington area organizations such as Adventure Theatre, Junior League, Arts for the Aging and the Center for Conflict Resolution of Montgomery Counry, Academy of the Holy Cross, Norwood School and the Washington Waldorf School. Joan brings 20 years in government relations as a policy/legislative analyst and lobbyist as well as ten years as a business owner. She has an MA from the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government and a BA from Georgetown University.
Kate Tallent Design & Communications: Web, Print and Video Solutions
Kate Tallent Design & Communications (KTDC) creates communications solutions for all types of organizations, from non-profits to corporations, arts organizations, and small businesses. KTDC gives all clients the same careful attention, yet their work with non-profits is a particular point of pride. Services include branding initiatives, annual reports, brochures, business collateral, web sites, books, video, magazines, presentations, fund-raising campaigns and more. KTDC’s clients have included the International Youth Foundation, International Youth Foundation, CARE, National Latina Health Network, The Venezuela Information Office, Save the Children and more. KTDC provides communications solutions that are different from the rest— so that their clients can make a difference in the world.
WealthEngine.com: Electronic Database Screening
As an early innovator in the field and former leader with several top vendors, we know a lot about wealth screening. Today WealthEngine.com is the best. For the past five years, we have partnered with WealthEngine.com, a data-mining company that offers a range of wealth screening and online research tools. Whether you are looking for quick profiling, or indepth constituency analysis, Capacity Partners will help you select the appropriate service and train your staff to use it. If you are short on staff or time, Capacity Partners can even perform the analysis for you. WealthEngine is an outstanding choice for both the small nonprofit as well as for the large membership organization that wishes to launch a major gifts program.
