Hiking
Hi, I’m
Floss Blackburn
Hesperus,CO
Summary
Passionate freelance grant writer with over 20 years effectively raising funds for non-profit organizations. Adept at creating original content based on the organization’s needs. Exceptional management and leadership skills, proficient in interpersonal skills and motivating others. Proficient in accounting, financial management and budgets related to proposals and grants. Special expertise in successful fundraising and grant funding for nonprofit animal welfare entities. Entrepreneurial and creative Founder passionate about turning innovative ideas into tangible results. Experienced formulating and executing strategic plans, creating new products and services, and developing business opportunities. Track record of multiple successful business ventures and leading teams of professionals to maximize profits and deliver success.
Overview
20
years of professional experience
Work History
Denkai Animal Sanctuary
Founder and Executive Director
2004.05 - Current (20 years & 4 months)
Job overview
- Raised over $15 million in income and assets since Denkai’s inception
- 20 years experience grant writing with $1,000,000 grant funds awarded
- Grant writing and fundraising resulting in 41 Foundation entities providing support
- Grant writing and fundraising for monetary and non-monetary annual operational resources
- Successful fundraising for the purchase of three properties valued at $ 2.5 million total
- Led $100,000 capital campaign to refinance property; successfully raised $110,000
- Founded, implemented and managed low cost spay/neuter vet clinic providing about 20,000 procedures per year
- Develops and fosters on-going strong relationships with other animal welfare communities
- Partners frequently with local municipalities and State of Colorado on animal cruelty and neglect cases
- Provides national level leadership and participation in the Animal Rescue and Disaster Response Program
- Developed and manages educational programs for over 300 youth per year
- Developed and supervises operations for care, feeding and rehabilitation of between 20 -150 animals daily
- Developed and manages a volunteer corps of over 1,000 persons giving 100,000 hours per year
- Developed and manages a Risk Management Program for humans and animals.
- Developed, implemented and supervises brick and mortar plus multiple online retail stores supporting the non profit.
Education
University of Colorado - Boulder , Boulder, CO
No Degree from Kinesiology
05.1998
Colorado State University , Fort Collins, CO
No Degree from Business
05.1999
Colo State University- Global Campus- Denver, CO , Denver, CO
Bachelors from Accounting
08.2025
Skills
- 20 years Quickbooks
- 20 years accounting experience for nonprofit and for-profit entities
- Grant proposal writing/research/contract review/strategic planning/team collaboration/project management/finding funding opportunities/problem solving/decision making/leadership/public relations
- Tax preparation/bookkeeping/financial report writing/ Microsoft Windows/curriculum development/human resources/marketing
- Entrepreneurial and Innovative
- Marketing
- Strategic Thinking
- Team Leadership
- Ethics and integrity
- Client Engagement
- Contract Negotiation
- Organizational Structuring
- Strategic Planning
- Visionary leadership
- Customer Acquisition
- Start-Up Operations
- Team Engagement
- Strategic Vision
- Project Management
- Customer Focus
- Operations Management
- Business Planning
- Goal Setting
- Growth Mindset
- Revenue Generation
- Trends Analysis
- Process Improvements
- Consulting
- Staff Management
- Business Administration
- Financial Administration
- Business Development
- Partnership Building
- Cash Flow Management
- Recruitment and hiring
- Revenue development
- Corporate Governance
- Financial Management
- Investor Relations
- Industry Expertise
- Legal Compliance
- Succession Planning
- Board Reporting
- Policies and Procedures Development
- Board Collaboration
- Feasibility Studies
- Adaptable and Flexible
- Media Relations
- Budget Planning
- Mission and Vision
- Brand Management
- Balanced Work Ethic
- Approachable leader
Shortbio
Floss spent her early years growing up in the Southwest. She spent many a day in the wilderness as a child. Cattle drives, backpacking trips, hunting camps, and helping her father in his guiding throughout the mountains of Colorado.
Innately, Floss has always been drawn to the special needs of animals in peril. At the age of six, she rescued her first kitten from a bush behind a local liquor store in Cortez, CO. Found her first dog at the age of thirteen as a puppy screaming in a ditch where he had been dumped in a canyon near Cortez and then went on, at the age of twenty-four to found Denkai Animal Sanctuary in 2004.
Floss grew Denkai from the ground up. Having no choice but to live off grid in a house that had been used by squatters with no running water, electricity or heat, she made it work and fixed what she could so that they animals would have their land to thrive. The organization was grown in four years from no money and little resources to the purchase of 640 acres near Grover, CO. Floss raised the down payment of $40,000 in one months’ time and negotiated the purchase of this property including mineral rights. Five years later, Floss was faced with raising another capital campaign of $100,000 in an effort to refinance the property and get a bank to carry it. The campaign raised $110,000.
Floss grew Denkai into a low-cost veterinary clinic during 2012 that provided services for those in need throughout Northern Colorado. This facility was purchased by the organization with a down payment. Floss negotiated this purchase and owner carry. The veterinary clinic saw a total of 20,000 procedures per year. In 2014, with Floss’ leadership, Denkai purchased the building next door to the vet clinic and turned that into an Adoption Center for the organization. This facility aided between 100-200 rescued pet animals per month mainly through foster homes.
Floss has successfully led her team through rescues with the ASPCA, HSUS, various Sheriff’s department cases throughout Colorado as well as California and New Mexico. Floss led a team to Louisiana during hurricane Katrina and brought back sixty-five rescued dogs for placement in Colorado. She has raised over fifteen million dollars in income and assets for Denkai since its inception.
In 2017, Floss relocated Denkai from Weld County, Colorado to Montezuma County, Colorado. The area was lacking in services that Denkai was able to provide and the organization has successfully provided animal rescue services to the area for the past four years.
Floss has successfully written for and received a total of $1,000,000 in grant funding for Denkai since inception. Having had to wear many hats over the years, Floss’s skills expand from accounting, mechanics, pet animal and horse training, hauling, fence building, medical care as allowed on the animals that come to her, marketing, advertising, graphic design, merchandising, retail sales, online sales, consulting services, board associations, and so much more.
Inthenews
- Various newspaper, radio and news stations from 2014-2022
- 2022 Colorado Sun https://coloradosun.com/2022/01/13/abandoned-horses-backcountry-rescue-southwest-colorado/
- 2021: Meko Haze Andrea Davis - Broken Shovels Farm & Floss Blackburn from Denkai Animal Sanctuary discuss Halina Morley and Laurel Burchell who have been accused of extreme animal abuse having purposely starve and then freeze animals. Laurel Burchell is trying to extort money from animal sanctuaries to gain release of these mistreated animals. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OF0PffyEpE8 https://kdvr.com/news/local/following-accusations-of-neglect-weld-county-woman-says-animals-are-fine/
- 2021: Farmington Daily Times New New Mexico Animal Welfare League shelter, thrift store will open on Bloomfield Highway https://www.daily-times.com/story/news/local/2021/02/02/new-farmington-animal-shelter-offshoot-denkai-sanctuary-based-cortez-colorado/4349688001
Awards
- 2005 – Presidential Leadership Award
- 2012- eTown Achievement Award recipient.
- Denver 7 News Every Day Hero
- Top 40 Under 40 Northern Colorado Business Report
- Colorado Women of Influence
Availability
See my work availability
Not Available
Available
monday
tuesday
wednesday
thursday
friday
saturday
sunday
morning
afternoon
evening
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Interests
Horseback Riding
Swimming
Weightlifting
Timeline
Founder and Executive Director
Denkai Animal Sanctuary
2004.05 - Current (20 years & 4 months)
University of Colorado - Boulder
No Degree from Kinesiology
Colorado State University
No Degree from Business
Colo State University- Global Campus- Denver, CO
Bachelors from Accounting
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