Area of Focus
Crystal joined WRA in 2022 as the senior foundation relations officer, bringing with her more than 30 years of nonprofit management and fundraising experience. She predominately works with foundations to increase funding and to build and grow a sustainable pipeline of institutional support for the organization.
Day-to-day, she can be found developing grant proposals, crafting stewardship reports, meeting with funders, and fostering relationships with WRA supporters. The work she does today is always grounded by a clear vision for a healthy and equitable future, and a drive to leave the planet a better place than she found it.
Background
With an upbringing in Montana, and family living in three states in the Interior West, Crystal feels a personal connection to WRA’s work. It was here that she was able to marry her passions of writing and environmental welfare. In addition to her fundraising career, she has worked as a journalist and in public relations, but the common thread has always been writing. Even as a young child, she always loved to write stories and now she leverages this storytelling interest into sharing the critical importance of protecting the West’s climate, air, land, and water.
Throughout her career, Crystal has helped raise government, individual, and institutional funds for a variety of organizations in the arts, family justice, higher education, and wildlife conservation. Prior to WRA, she enjoyed a 17-year career at the University of Nevada, Reno, including 10 years as the director of corporate and foundation relations. In this role, she built integral philanthropic relationships with business, community, and foundation leaders at local, regional, and national levels.
During her time working in higher education, Crystal helped raise more than $40 million to support institutional growth, fund scholarships, and enhance operational and programmatic initiatives. She is most proud of the programs these funds supported that allowed low income and underserved populations to attend college. Having been a recipient of such programs herself, she knows firsthand the financial pressure many students face and the positive impact of philanthropic support.
Education
- Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Economics from Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Montana
- Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) since 2019
Favorite thing about the West:
Access to so many wondrous outdoor experiences, star-spangled nights, and the most vibrant, colorful sunsets.
