About Ronnie
The Consultant
Ronnie cut his fundraising teeth at UChicago as an Associate Director of Leadership & Major Giving. There, he raised millions in support for first-generation and undocumented students.
He then joined UC Berkeley's Division of Equity and Inclusion as their development director, serving as the principle giving officer for campus wide support of E&I.
His last stop was at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley where he served as the Director of Development for the entire organization leading a multi-tiered team to serve thousands of Silicon Valley donors in support of live theatre.
Over the Years, Ronnie has honed exceptional experience that allows him to serve clients regardless of size or speciality. His specialities include:
- Fundraising Maximization
- Development Audits
- Development Staff Training
- Campaign Management
- Staff Transition
- Strategic Planning
- Board Development and Training
- Staff Retreats
- Executive Coaching
- Organizational Transition
- Talent Acquisition & Onboarding
The Scholar
In 2020, Ronnie left the field after more than a decade of service to pursue a PhD in Philanthropy from the esteemed Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University. Previously, he obtained a BA in Psychology from Wheaton College in Illinois and a MA in Religious Studies from the Unviersity of Dayton.
At the Lilly School, Ronnie worked with the Lake Institute to study the intersection of religiosity and generosity, helping Lake's clients build national surveys, conduct interviews, and produce reports that help describe the trends in religious giving. Most notably, he authored the Religion chapter of the nationally lauded GivingUSA report in 2021, 2022, and 2023.
As a critical scholar of philanthropy, Ronnie investigates the ways donors give to help them achieve impact in alignment with their values and their overching goals of philanthropic activity. He also explores experiential philanthropy and applied philanthropy that helps communities understand the role of vibrant practices of generosity that serve and include all.
You can find him presenting at various conferences, including ARNOVA, SSR+RRA, ISP, and CIC. He also teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in Civic Engagement and Philanthropy, Religion and Philanthropy, Experiential Philanthropy, and Comparative Philanthropy.
