Mer Stafford

About Mer Stafford

With over two decades of nonprofit leadership experience plus over 10 years as a founder and small business partner, I have the foundation to lead strategy and teams. It is my goal to bring value by uncovering creative and collaborative solutions that inspire action both internally and externally. My professional life has been mission-driven and relational. I bring a collaborative leadership style and have extensive experience coaching and mentoring teams. Let\'s answer the question \"How can we do this better - TOGETHER?\"My personal mission has been to honor and value all those whom I encounter by choosing inclusivity, equality, and practicing equanimity.My experience developing and implementing a diverse portfolio of projects and initiatives relies on my strong work ethic, bold creativity, and often, pure grit and determination. I continually exceed expectations. Ask me about how I raised the roof on a couple of multimillion-dollar campaigns!

Experience

1. Chief Impact Officer

   Housing Matters

   Aug 2021 — Present · Santa Cruz, CA, US

   Executive team lead for this 501(c)3 nonprofit with an annual budget of over $23M.Fundraising:• Responsible for setting the annual budget strategy for individual, corporate, and foundation revenue•Lead the fundraising team to research, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward individual, foundation, and corporate funders• Develop compelling grant proposals, write grant applications and project plans, and show impact by reporting on results• Develop annual events and lead the team in implementation including theme development, budgeting, solicitations strategy, managing committee relationsCommunications:• Set strategy for internal and external communications for the organization• Develop and project manage organization-wide communications collateral and assets, working closely with outside contractors• Deeply understand, diagnose, and help generate solutions to public misunderstanding of homelessnessCommunity Engagement:• Lead the Community Education team focused on community-based programming to encourage conversations around the issue of homelessness including developing a multi-media educational toolkit• Established a Lived Experience Advisory Group to incorporate lived expertise into organizational decision-making and reduce stigma communitywide • Lead the Volunteer Program team in the development of a robust service and education as a pathway to advocacy program for both corporate volunteer partnerships and individuals• Act as Housing Matters’ lead representative in a number of external coalitions and groups• Build relationships with key patners, including elected officials, donors, university reps, community leaders, and advocates• Build and implement a strategy to educate and mobilize community groups, faith-based groups, neighborhood groups, etc. in the mission to end homelessness• Facilitate community meetings

Education

• The Art Institutes

  Visual Communication

• UC Irvine

  Project Management Certificate

• Bay State College

  Merchandising

• California College of the Arts

  Metalsmithing