About Us

Mandy Helton, CFRE

Consultant

Mandy Helton, Consultant and Certified Fundraising Executive, brings over 15 years of experience in nonprofit leadership and fundraising. With a multifaceted background that includes roles as a Development Officer, Board Member, and Executive Director, Mandy offers a 360-degree perspective on the dynamics between donors, Board members, nonprofit staff, and the people served when a nonprofit successfully delivers on its mission.

Mandy’s nonprofit career began when she joined the board of the largest student philanthropy at her university and heard about the organization’s impact firsthand from the nurses and families at the North Carolina Children’s Hospital. Decades later, she continues to consider storytelling one of her most powerful tools to activate volunteers, donors, and advocates.

Mandy has worked for a dues-paying professional membership non-profit, and served in the development offices of The Lexington School and Louisville Collegiate School in a variety of roles, handling everything from database gift entry and alumni programming to grant writing, event fundraising, and planned giving. At both institutions, Mandy has successfully rebranded the Annual Fund, resulting in double-digit increases in donor participation rates and overall revenue growth. Notably, Mandy has raised or assisted in raising funds for a $10 million endowment campaign and a $20 million comprehensive campaign.

As the former Executive Director of Emerge Kentucky, a statewide affiliate of a national nonprofit, Mandy was able to apply her graduate training in nonprofit administration and develop her expertise outside of fundraising, extending to program development and Board relations. Her experience as a sole staff member gives her a valuable understanding of the unique challenges faced by small nonprofits with limited staff.

Mandy holds a BA in Journalism and Mass Communications from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Masters of Nonprofit Administration from the University of Notre Dame. When she isn’t within a spreadsheet, she enjoys consuming stories in all forms, exercising, and planning adventures with her husband and sons.