Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Accomplishments
Affiliations
Timeline
Generic

Megan McKinney Cooper

NARRAGANSETT,RI

Summary

Not-for-profit executive with specialization in strategic planning and developing community partnerships for sustainable growth. Expertise in corporate, foundation, and individual fundraising and a long history of successful marketing and communications campaigns.

Overview

24
24
years of professional experience

Work History

Communications Director

Jump IN for Healthy Kids
10.2017 - Current
  • Member of three-person team tasked with developing and implementing short-and long-term strategic, systems-level interventions to address childhood health in Indiana.
  • Oversees early childhood sector work, delivering policy/systems/environmental changes through strategic partnerships with continuing education, early childhood, and social service, and public health agencies.
  • Leads Indiana’s implementation of the CDC’s Spectrum of Opportunities, the systems-level healthy eating/physical activity early childhood best practices integration.
  • Established and maintains overseeing ongoing full best practice integration into Indiana’s early childhood agencies (INAEYC, SPARK Learning Lab), Indiana’s preprofessional training programs (Non-formal CDA and Associate’s Degree.
  • Led creation and implementation of multiple short- and long-term professional development programs designed to improve child care environments, including a Farm to ECE program, a healthy food delivery program, and a Learning Cohort model that is currently being studied for replication in other states.
  • Develops and executes all communications, including strategic marketing initiatives: internal and external communications strategies, paid advertising and earned media coverage, website design and strategy, digital and social media
  • Co-leads strategic fundraising initiatives, including stewarding funding relationships and overseeing grant and foundation administration.



Director of Marketing and Development

Early Learning Indiana
12.2013 - 10.2017
  • Created and executed communications, marketing and development plans for $23,000,000, 118-year-old early childhood education organization, including all strategic marketing initiatives: internal and external communications strategies, paid advertising and earned media coverage, website design and strategy, digital and social media campaigns, and fundraising initiatives: foundation relations, grant conception and writing, donor cultivation and solicitation, corporate relations, event planning, and stewardship, and board fundraising, engagement, and giving
  • Led 2014 rebranding and renaming of organization, with Well Done Marketing, from Day Nursery to Early Learning Indiana
  • Tripled organization’s individual giving in second year
  • Led marketing initiatives to reach 90% center enrollment, highest in its history
  • Strategically managed diverse network of constituents and influencers: parents, students, funders, board of directors, and the 78 year-old Day Nursery Auxiliary while crafting communications strategies to accommodate the needs and expectations of each group
  • Oversaw rebranding efforts that resulted in enhanced corporate identity and improved brand perception among stakeholders.
  • Deployed well-coordinated campaigns, events and public relations strategies to promote brand.

Director of Development

Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre
08.2010 - 08.2012
  • Led fundraising operations for one of top ten community theatres (out of 7,000+) in the country, including foundation and government support, corporate support and individual donor relations
  • Worked with Johnson Grossnickle and Associates (JGA) to lead $6.5 million capital fundraising campaign in coordination with Civic Theatre’s move from its home at Marian University to become primary resident performing arts group at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel
  • Secured 100% board participation in the capital campaign within six months and reached goal of pledge commitments to 40% of total goal before announcing public campaign
  • Strategized and negotiated corporate sponsor opportunities; directed sponsor fulfillment events partnership deliverables.
  • Created individual high-end donor proposals and oversaw solicitations and fulfillment.
  • Served as primary event director, hosting more than 25 sponsor, fundraising and donor cultivation events in the first nine months at the Center for the Performing Arts
  • Helped rebrand Civic in coordination with move to Carmel; worked with 360 Group in name change, logo change and in updating Civic’s mission and vision at the Center

Executive Director

Fine Arts Society of Indianapolis
07.2008 - 08.2010
  • Led not-for-profit arts organization that provides classical music radio programming to 88.7 WICR at the University of Indianapolis with staff of 11 and $600,000 budget
  • Created strategic plans for fundraising, corporate sponsorship and underwriting efforts including foundation and government grant prospecting; developed corporate sponsorship relationships and cultivated individual donor relationships
  • Oversaw artistic product to ensure highest quality and adherence to mission
  • Launched effort to promote the Fine Arts Society brand and raise community awareness about the product as valuable community service
  • Planned, implemented and on-air hosted biannual fund drives
  • Managed all human resource needs: job delineation and performance evaluations, employee benefits, talent recruiting, and workplace regulations
  • Managed the ongoing partnership and working relationship with the University of Indianapolis

Senior Marketing and Public Relations Manager

Indiana Repertory Theatre
01.2001 - 07.2008
  • Cultivated and managed all media relations (print, TV, radio, web); served as primary spokesperson to media for organization
  • Created and implemented strategic marketing plans including branding identities; TV, radio and print advertising; printing, direct mail, signage, electronic communication; web design and events
  • Helped launch rebranding campaign in 2006 with the help of Hetrick Communications; increased web traffic, online sales and brand recognition
  • Launched and directed new subscription initiatives, including the IRT’s Crew, a social subscription group for young professionals
  • Collaborated with internal departments (artistic, education, development, production) to create community outreach events; including public appearances, symposia, community partnerships
  • Managed day-to-day earned revenue strategy and tracking
  • Established online ticketing system and developed email marketing strategy and process

Education

M.F.A. - Acting

Indiana University
Bloomington
06-2000

B.F.A. - Acting And Directing

University of Rhode Island
Kingston, RI
06-1995

Skills

  • Strategic planning
  • Partnership development
  • Project management
  • Program creation and implementation
  • Marketing and communications planning
  • Fundraising campaigns
  • Policy development
  • Strategy development
  • Early childhood education systems
  • Wellness policy

Accomplishments

Over my 25-year career, I have raised millions of dollars for arts, public health, and education organizations through partnerships and philanthropy. Over the past twelve years I have developed expertise in early childhood education and public health, with emphasis on nutrition and physical activity policy. Since 2017 I have led Indiana's implementation of the CDC's Spectrum of Opportunities framework for embedding nutrition and physical activity best practices into the state's early childhood systems, by establishing partnerships with key early childhood agencies to develop implementation steps for sustainability, including the state's technical assistance network, the early childhood professional development teaching credential and Associate's Degree, and the Indiana Department of Health initiatives. I have presented at multiple national and regional conferences and meetings, including Help Me Grow, University of Iowa public health conference, Indiana Association for the Education of Young Children, University of North Carolina's Go NAPSACC, Nemours Health, and the Indiana School Health Network.

Affiliations

  • Stanley K. Lacy Leadership Series, Class XL
  • Storytelling Arts of Indiana, President and Board Member Emeritus
  • Indianapolis Shakespeare Company, Founder and Board Member
  • Indianapolis Public School 2 CFI Parent-Teacher-Student Association, President
  • Community and regional event emcee: TEDx Indy Conference, Indianapolis Symphonic Choir Gala Bel Canto, Athenaeum Foundation GermanFest, Storytelling Arts of Indiana performances
  • Member, Actors’ Equity Association, 20+ years
  • Commercial Voiceover Actor, 20+ years

Timeline

Communications Director

Jump IN for Healthy Kids
10.2017 - Current

Director of Marketing and Development

Early Learning Indiana
12.2013 - 10.2017

Director of Development

Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre
08.2010 - 08.2012

Executive Director

Fine Arts Society of Indianapolis
07.2008 - 08.2010

Senior Marketing and Public Relations Manager

Indiana Repertory Theatre
01.2001 - 07.2008

M.F.A. - Acting

Indiana University

B.F.A. - Acting And Directing

University of Rhode Island

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Megan McKinney Cooper