Cynthia Haynes-Williams
Denver,CO
Summary
Strategic fundraising leader with expertise in prospect research and donor data management across diverse sectors, including healthcare and arts. Utilizes advanced CRM systems to enhance donor engagement and development strategies, achieving significant fundraising growth. Proven track record in process improvements and prospect research, strengthening donor pipelines. Specializes in wealth screening, predictive modeling, and donor cultivation, known for cross-functional collaboration and analytical insight.
Overview
27
27
years of professional experience
Work History
Director of Philanthropy, Prospect Research & Operations
Civic News Company
Denver, CO
04.2024 - 07.2025
- Directed philanthropy operations for the Revenue Department, including Salesforce CRM administration, system customization, and data governance, ensuring 100% compliance with privacy and security regulations.
- Led and mentored a cross-functional team responsible for donor database management, reporting, and gift processing, increasing operational efficiency by streamlining workflows and automating routine tasks.
- Designed and enforced standard operating procedures (SOPs) that improved data hygiene and reduced duplicate records by 40%.
- Oversaw prospect research initiatives utilizing wealth screenings, predictive analytics, and data mining to identify new major gift prospects, resulting in a 25% increase in high-capacity donors added to the pipeline.
- Partnered with leadership and gift officers to create and track moves management strategies for top-tier donors, enhancing cultivation and stewardship outcomes.
- Created dashboard reporting to track key performance indicators (KPIs) for prospect activity, portfolio health, and fundraising goal attainment.
Prospect Strategy & Research Manager
Civic News Company
Denver, CO
08.2022 - 04.2024
- Developed targeted prospect identification and qualification strategies aligned with newsroom priorities, leveraging predictive modeling, philanthropic trend analysis, and affinity indicators.
- Managed the organization's gift pyramid and prospect pipeline through quarterly reviews, ensuring optimal portfolio balance and alignment with revenue targets.
- Produced in-depth research briefings for donor meetings, including wealth analysis, philanthropic giving history, and strategic talking points for cultivation and solicitation.
- Collaborated with development operations to implement research policy updates and integrate prospect data into Salesforce for enhanced visibility across teams.
- Identified process improvements that reduced turnaround time for research requests by 30%.
Prospect Development & Research Analyst
Denver Rescue Mission
Denver, CO
08.2019 - 08.2022
- Solely established and managed the organization's prospect research program, implementing industry best practices to support a $40M+ fundraising operation.
- Conducted comprehensive research and created actionable donor profiles for major gift prospects, verifying assets, business affiliations, and philanthropic interests.
- Partnered with major gift officers to assess giving capacity and develop cultivation strategies, resulting in higher conversion rates for solicitations.
- Managed prospect assignment processes, ensuring gift officers had balanced, strategic portfolios that aligned with organizational priorities.
Assistant Director of Advancement Services
Regis University
Denver, CO
04.2019 - 08.2019
- Oversaw CRM data integrity, ensuring accurate tracking of over 100,000 alumni and donor records in support of fundraising goals.
- Developed reporting tools to provide advancement leadership with actionable insights into donor engagement trends.
- Created and enforced database policies to standardize gift entry and acknowledgment processes.
Contract Employee
AimHire Staffing
Englewood, CO
06.2018 - 04.2019
- Contract Prospect Research Analyst, University of Denver, June-September 2018.
- Cleared a backlog of unassigned mid-level donors by assessing wealth capacity and strategic portfolio placement.
- Conducted proactive industry-based prospecting, identifying high-net-worth alumni and parents in targeted sectors such as real estate and technology.
- Maintained CRM accuracy by updating donor contact, giving, and relationship data in Banner and Microsoft Dynamics.
Founder & Principal Consultant
CGM Philanthropic Services
Denver, CO
10.2017 - Current
- Provide outsourced, on-demand prospect research and portfolio management services for nonprofit clients nationwide.
- Deliver wealth screenings, donor capacity ratings, and predictive analytics to support cultivation of major and planned gifts.
- Develop research briefs and pipeline reports that enhance client fundraising strategy and board engagement.
Manager, Research & Prospect Management
Mile High United Way
Denver, CO
09.2013 - 09.2017
- Managed prospect research operations supporting a $50M campaign, identifying and qualifying new major gift prospects through data mining and wealth screening.
- Created and maintained a pipeline of 150-200 qualified prospects, tracking engagement and moves management activities in Salesforce.
- Produced executive-level donor briefings and strategic recommendations for senior leadership, board members, and volunteers.
- Trained and supervised staff in prospect research best practices, data integrity, and CRM utilization.
Prospect Research Manager
Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Denver, CO
08.2011 - 08.2013
- Conducted large-scale predictive modeling projects analyzing 176,000+ records to identify donors with major gift potential.
- Developed detailed research profiles, donor lists, and strategic cultivation recommendations for executive leadership.
- Partnered with frontline fundraisers to refine portfolios and identify campaign prospects, contributing to significant capital fundraising success.
Associate Management Director of Research & Records
National Jewish Health
Denver, CO
10.1998 - 08.2011
- Directed the institution's prospect research program and records management across multiple offices, supervising staff and overseeing research consultant contracts.
- Supported two major capital campaigns totaling $83M by producing wealth analysis, prospect briefings, and donor pipeline reports.
- Implemented a $30,000 document management system to digitize over 3 million donor records, significantly improving efficiency and accessibility.
Education
Certificate - Harvard ManageMentor
Harvard University
Boston, MA01-2017
Bachelor of Science - Business Administration
Regis University
Denver, CO01-1993
Associate of Applied Science - Business
Community College of Denver
Denver, CO01-1988
Skills
- Fundraising operations
- Prospect research and wealth screening
- Salesforce NPSP administration
- Data integrity and governance
- Moves management strategies
- Donor cultivation techniques
- Predictive modeling and analytics
- Standard operating procedure development
- Portfolio optimization strategies
- Major gift identification
- Cross-functional collaboration
- CRM administration and training
Affiliations
- Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement (APRA), Member (1994-Present)
- APRA Rocky Mountain, Member (1994-Present), Mentor (2013-Present), Director of Membership (2017-2018), Board Treasurer (1998-1999)
- Community Resource Center, Volunteer Researcher (2018)
- Taproot Foundation, Volunteer Prospect Researcher (2017-2018)
Earlier Career Roles (full details available on request)
- Workplace Injury Litigation Group, Membership Coordinator/Administrative Assistant, 01/01/98, 12/31/98
- Colorado School of Mines Foundation, Development Research Manager, 01/01/96, 12/31/97
- Tennyson Center for Children, Assistant Director of Development Research, 01/01/94, 12/31/96
- Regis University, Periodicals/Government Documents Assistant, 01/01/91, 12/31/94
- Denver Public Library, Senior Clerk / Library Page, 01/01/82, 12/31/91
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
Director of Philanthropy, Prospect Research & Operations
Civic News Company
04.2024 - 07.2025
Prospect Strategy & Research Manager
Civic News Company
08.2022 - 04.2024
Prospect Development & Research Analyst
Denver Rescue Mission
08.2019 - 08.2022
Assistant Director of Advancement Services
Regis University
04.2019 - 08.2019
Contract Employee
AimHire Staffing
06.2018 - 04.2019
Founder & Principal Consultant
CGM Philanthropic Services
10.2017 - Current
Manager, Research & Prospect Management
Mile High United Way
09.2013 - 09.2017
Prospect Research Manager
Denver Museum of Nature & Science
08.2011 - 08.2013
Associate Management Director of Research & Records
National Jewish Health
10.1998 - 08.2011
Certificate - Harvard ManageMentor
Harvard University
Bachelor of Science - Business Administration
Regis University
Associate of Applied Science - Business
Community College of Denver
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