About Charis
About Charis
Founded in July 2021, Charis combines my passion for community service with decades of nonprofit management expertise. Whether creating compelling fundraising appeals, developing strategic recommendations, or coaching organizations to build successful fundraising and grants programs, Charis helps community organizations advance their missions.
For over twenty years, I have helped nonprofits increase support and awareness to help them do their important work. I led and managed multiple nonprofit administrative programs, including fundraising, special events, communications, volunteers, and grants management programs. I have a proven track record, helping many organizations in the state raise millions of dollars.
Whether it’s creating a great fundraising appeal, strategy recommendations, or coaching you to build successful fundraising and/or grants programs, Charis will help take your organization to the next level.
Meet Sarah, Founder & CEO
I am Sarah, founder and CEO. I once heard grace defined as “love in action.” Welcome to Charis – my love in action. Also Greek for grace.
With over 25 years of comprehensive experience in the nonprofit sector, I bring a unique combination of direct service expertise, operational leadership, and specialized fund development skills to help organizations advance their missions. My career journey spans from frontline advocacy work to executive leadership, giving me deep insight into what it takes to run effective nonprofit organizations at every level.
I hold a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Johnson & Wales University and a Master of Science degree in Nonprofit/Public/Organizational Management from Northeastern University. Since January 2022, I have served as an Adjunct Professor at Johnson & Wales University, sharing my real-world nonprofit and victim advocacy expertise with the next generation of sector leaders.
A Unique Perspective Across All Organizational Levels
My nonprofit career began in direct service as a victim advocate in Rhode Island’s criminal justice system, where I spent over a decade progressing through increasingly responsible roles. I then transitioned to leadership positions in nonprofit operations and advancement, ultimately serving as Deputy Director of Advancement where I led comprehensive fundraising and grants management programs.
This progression gives me a unique perspective that sets me apart: I can speak to the experiences of entry-level, mid-level, and high-level staff; direct service and administration; and how fund development fits within all of that. Too many organizations keep fund development in a silo, but effective fundraising must be threaded and embedded throughout the entire organization. I can sit at the table with executive leadership discussing high-level strategy, while also understanding the impact on ground-floor, entry-level staff that high-level leaders may not be seeing; the realities of implementation, staffing constraints, and organizational capacity.