Summary
Work History
Education
Websites
Key Skills And Services
Volunteer Experience
Timeline
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Amy Spiro

Austin,Texas

Summary

Amy Spiro is a nonprofit consultant and award-winning writer with over 30 years public and private sector experience. In 2004, Amy established Mindstorm Consulting specializing in communications, grant writing and public policy research. Since forming the firm, Amy has worked with a wide range of top organizations, including Ascension Texas, the United Way of Waco-McLennan County, the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians, the Austin Area Urban League, the Texas Dental Association, the Texas Hospital Association, the Children’s Defense Fund Texas, The University of Texas at Austin and the Austin Independent School District.

Amy is currently serving as Interim Executive Director for the Capital Area Dental Foundation and is the primary grant writer for the Providence Foundation in Waco and lead writer for the Health Alliance for Austin Musician’s Annual Report. From 2012-2019, Amy served as editor and lead writer for Miracles magazine, a biannual publication of Dell Children’s and the Children’s Medical Center Foundation of Central Texas.

Work History

Interim Executive Director

Capital Area Dental Foundation
  • Manage a 13-member nonprofit board of directors.
  • Set strategic vision, goals, and performance metrics.
  • Coordinate and staff board and executive committee meetings; prepare agendas and minutes, oversee insurance and banking issues.
  • Oversee fundraising events and committees.
  • Recruit volunteers and steward relations with donors and community partners.
  • Lead all internal and external communications activities including collateral, website, marketing emails, social media and annual reports.

Grant Writing Consultant

Ascension Providence Foundation
  • Collaborate with team to secure over $500,000 in state and local foundation grants.
  • Establish case statements for several Ascension Providence programs
  • Use national databases to research and identify suitable grant opportunities.
  • Compile comprehensive and compelling grant reports for funders.

Copy Writer and Co-Project Manager

Health Alliance for Austin Musicians
  • Create engaging content for annual impact reports for past 10 years.
  • Interview local musicians and draft compelling donor-facing stories.
  • Collaborate with team to manage design and production of final report.
  • Provide grant research and writing, collateral development and newsletter writing on as-needed basis.

Grant Consultant

United Way of Waco-McLennan County
  • Provide one-on-one consulting and editorial support for small nonprofits applying for United Way funding.
  • Conduct intake interviews with nonprofits to determine goals and need.
  • Review draft responses and provide written feedback and edits to improve overall quality and clarity of grant application.

Writer and Project Manager

Ascension Seton Nursing
  • Serve as lead writer for Ascension Seton's Annual Nursing reports since 2007.
  • Conduct interviews with subject matter experts to develop content.
  • Translate healthcare terminology and jargon into plain, clear language.
  • Edit and proofread final content in collaboration with nursing team.

Lead Writer and Project Manager

Dell Children's Medical Center
  • Served as the primary writer and editor of Miracles magazine, a biannual magazine produced by Dell Children’s and the Children’s Medical Center Foundation of Central Texas from 2012-2019.
  • Brainstorm ideas with team to determine content for each issue.
  • Interview physicians, donors, patient families and subject matter experts, by phone and in-person to write compelling, donor-facing content for magazine.
  • Collaborate with design team to coordinate photography and layout under deadline pressure.
  • Incorporate review comments and corrections from multiple sources into final magazine.

Project Manager

Texas Dental Association
  • Served as master editor of public policy report, “Building Better Oral Health: A Dental Home for All Texans,” for Texas Dental Association.
  • Collaborated with team to release report to media and Texas lawmakers.
  • Report recognized for excellence by International Association of Business Communicators in June 2010.

Lead Writer

University of Texas at Austin
  • Served as lead writer for the 2012 Continuing and Innovative Education Annual Report for the University of Texas at Austin.
  • Collaborated with multiple divisions and departments.
  • Report recognized with a 2013 Gold Award for annual publication from the University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA).


Copywriter and Editor

Texas Hospital Association
  • Provided copywriting and editing services to the Texas Hospital Association to develop materials that promoted the organization, its services and impact.

Writer

Ascension Seton
  • Retained by Seton Foundations to lead multiple writing projects, including direct mail solicitations press releases, newsletter stories web site content and donor stories.
  • Collaborated with Ascension marketing team on multiple projects including physician recruitment materials, case studies on academic medicine and

Grant Consultant

Austin Area Urban League
  • Member of consulting team assisting the Austin Area Urban League with the implementation of a multi-year education/high school redesign grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Copywriter

Austin Independent School District
  • Developed web site copy for the Austin Independent School District on its High School Redesign initiative.

Grant Writer

Austin Area Urban League
  • Prepared successful grant application to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Home Depot Foundation and the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation on behalf of the Austin Area Urban League.

Public Policy Researcher and Writer

Children’s Defense Fund Texas
  • Prepared 12-page policy report on the impact of state cuts to the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) on local communities and families for the Children’s Defense Fund Texas.

Writer and Consultant

Mental Health Association of Texas
  • Contributed multiple chapters and prepared executive summary of a major study commissioned by the Mental Health Association of Texas, which illustrated the fiscal and economic consequences of the state’s long-term under-investment in its mental health system.

Program Evaluator

Austin Public Education Foundation
  • Coordinated comprehensive program evaluation of local college readiness program for the Austin Public Education Foundation to identify ways to increase the number of AISD graduates that attend college and receive financial aid.

Program Evaluator

Insure-a-Kid
  • Provided program evaluation and performance measurement consulting services to Insure-a-Kid, Austin
  • Facilitated focus groups, interviewed staff and stakeholders, and developed plan to strengthen organization’s data collection systems, performance measures, and marketing efforts.

Strategic Planner

Edwards Aquifer Authority
  • Assisted in the development of strategic plans for the Edwards Aquifer Authority and Lower Colorado River Valley Authority
  • Conducted multiple stakeholder interviews in person and on-site.

Policy Analyst

U.S./Mexico Border Counties Coalition
  • Contributed to a nationally commissioned health care study for the U.S./Mexico Border Counties Coalition
  • Prepared detailed policy analysis of federal statutes and legislation related to emergency medical care and undocumented immigrants, and literature review of previous studies
  • Developed collateral materials summarizing study results.

Project Coordinator

Austin Education Compact
  • Served as project coordinator for the Austin Education Compact, which was funded by the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation
  • Convened meetings, conducted policy research on best practices, and initiated several high school readiness programs.

Marketing Consultant

Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau
  • Developed report and collateral piece on the economic impact of international tourism in Texas for the Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau
  • Collateral piece 2002 “Bronze Quill” by the International Association of Business Communicators.

Education

Bachelor of Arts - Political Science And French With Honors

Indiana University
Bloomington, IN

Master of Arts - Government

University of Texas At Austin
Austin, Texas

Key Skills And Services

  • Project Management
  • Nonprofit Organizational Management
  • Grant Research and Writing
  • Copywriting and Editing
  • Public Policy Research
  • Community Engagement
  • Annual Reports, White papers, Issue Papers
  • Collateral Material Development
  • Web Site and Social Media Content
  • Community Engagement
  • Newletters and Marketing Brochures

Volunteer Experience

Amy served on the executive committee of the Zilker Elementary PTA and Campus Advisory Council and the Lamar Middle School PTA and Campus Advisory Council. She co-led “Save Zilker Elementary,” a grassroots initiative to keep Zilker Elementary school open. She is currently a volunteer moderator for the Rice University Parent Facebook Group.

Timeline

Interim Executive Director

Capital Area Dental Foundation

Grant Writing Consultant

Ascension Providence Foundation

Copy Writer and Co-Project Manager

Health Alliance for Austin Musicians

Grant Consultant

United Way of Waco-McLennan County

Writer and Project Manager

Ascension Seton Nursing

Lead Writer and Project Manager

Dell Children's Medical Center

Project Manager

Texas Dental Association

Lead Writer

University of Texas at Austin

Copywriter and Editor

Texas Hospital Association

Writer

Ascension Seton

Grant Consultant

Austin Area Urban League

Copywriter

Austin Independent School District

Grant Writer

Austin Area Urban League

Public Policy Researcher and Writer

Children’s Defense Fund Texas

Writer and Consultant

Mental Health Association of Texas

Program Evaluator

Austin Public Education Foundation

Program Evaluator

Insure-a-Kid

Strategic Planner

Edwards Aquifer Authority

Policy Analyst

U.S./Mexico Border Counties Coalition

Project Coordinator

Austin Education Compact

Marketing Consultant

Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau

Bachelor of Arts - Political Science And French With Honors

Indiana University

Master of Arts - Government

University of Texas At Austin

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