Carol Leister is COO and co-owner of Next Generation Fundraising. Prior to coming to NextGen she spent more than 20 years working in various membership and development positions for nonprofit organizations such as Thirteen/WNET, WNYC, Sesame Workshop, and Columbia University, providing her with a unique inside perspective on how nonprofit fundraising programs operate.

Carol’s understanding of the nonprofit sector is unparalleled and her passion for their missions runs deep. She uses these qualities to fuel her drive to help organizations develop and manage resources, processes, and strategies to gain more support for the important work they do.

Carol received her undergraduate degree from Cornell University and her MBA from Columbia University. She also received a professional culinary certificate from The Institute of Culinary Education in New York City.

Jay Janszen is Vice President of Business Strategy at Next Generation Fundraising, where he leads the company’s sales and marketing efforts and works to form strategic alliances and advise the agency’s owners on various business initiatives and opportunities. Jay is a strong leader and a driven fundraising strategist.

Before joining NextGen, Jay was an Account and Sales Manager at Target Analytics, a division of Blackbaud Inc. for over 12 years, where he managed all Public Broadcasting business for the analytics division. Jay’s goal was to help PBS and NPR stations around the country find solutions to further their mission through data analytics and examination, predictive modeling and insights into donor habits. As an award winning Account Manager, Jay not only helped reorganize the donorCentrics client group, but advocated for clients and worked with internal team members to update the Public Broadcasting reports to address changes in their programs.

Prior to joining Target, Jay spent 10 years on the nonprofit side as Director of Development at CET Cincinnati, Membership Manager at Wisconsin Public Television and Vice President of Development and Marketing for WNKU. During his time at these stations he was involved in fundraising management and development efforts, including membership, special events, auction and underwriting. He also managed direct marketing and fundraising activities, on-air fundraising, auctions and events.

Jay holds a B.A. in Communications and Media Studies from Northern Kentucky University. He also has been a professional musician for the past 30 years.

Cindy is Senior Vice President, Fundraising Services at Next Generation Fundraising where she manages internal staff on all accounts and oversees client relationships.

Cindy was co-owner of Drakes Bay Fundraising from 1993 to 2013, when it merged with NextGen.  The agency’s approach in collaborating with clients, to serve uniquely the needs of each one, is her number one focus.  She leads teams in strategic planning, data analysis and creative development.

Cindy was the principal architect of Donor Insight Gateway™, NextGen’s web-based reporting, analytics, and donor base value management utility.

Her fundraising experience spans nearly 30 years across a wide variety of clients, from cultural organizations to those engaged in conservation, animal welfare, health and human services, and public broadcasting.

Before joining Drakes Bay Fundraising, she worked in political fundraising with the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

Cindy graduated from Kenyon College with a degree in political science.

Mike Maxwell is Senior Creative Manager at Next Generation Fundraising, leading the agency’s creative department on multichannel projects. He has nearly 30 years’ experience working with nonprofit organizations to help them realize their fundraising potential in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

He began his career as a copywriter at Reese Communications Companies in Washington, DC, working on a wide range of government affairs and commercial advertising accounts. He quickly found his passion in the nonprofit sector, collaborating with organizations that are doing the important work of creating stronger communities and a better world.

After moving to the Bay Area, he joined the creative team at Drakes Bay Fundraising where he helped develop fundraising strategies and compelling, persuasive creative for dozens of organizations in the public media, environmental, animal and human welfare, education and humanities sectors and more. He now manages a growing team of writers and art directors at NextGen after its merger with Drakes Bay Fundraising.

Mike holds B.A. degrees in Philosophy and French from Denison University.

Tim Oleary is CEO and co-owner of Next Generation Fundraising. Tim has more than 20 years of experience in communications and fundraising and has helped nonprofits raise millions of dollars from donors and prospects. Whether it’s advocating for the planet and its inhabitants, providing basic human services to people of all backgrounds, educating our youth, preserving history and culture, or helping us all discover and better understand the complex world in which we live, Tim has a passion for the unique missions and stories that nonprofits deliver.

Tim’s background and education in communications and business help him offer a rare blend of left and right-brain thinking that helps nonprofits shape their fundraising strategy, develop impactful creative, and analyze the results. He is a brand ambassador for the organizations he works with, driven by a desire to see nonprofits deliver on their promise to their supporters and constituents.

Tim is a U.S. Navy veteran, having served eight years of active duty service onboard ships and duty stations in the U.S., Asia, and Europe. He holds a B.S. in Communications from The University of Maryland University College and a graduate certificate in Strategic Marketing from Cornell University. He is also a graduate of the U.S. military’s joint Defense Information School.

Runica Sirkissoon is the Chief Financial Officer at Next Generation Fundraising, where she oversees all aspects of the company’s financial and accounting projects. Runica’s passion is in finding solutions to problems through the numbers presented to her and in helping the company grow both from the top line and bottom line.

She leads a team responsible for accounts payable, account receivables, bank and lending relationships, budgeting, preparation of financial statements, tax planning, payroll and benefits, and more.

Prior to NextGen, Runica served as Controller for CoreProfit Solutions, Inc. and was an accountant for Siemens Medical Solutions, Inc. where she worked in various accounting functions and helped developed processes for maintaining GAAP standards and Sarbanes-Oxley requirements.

Runica has a B.S. in Accounting from San Francisco State University and an MBA in Management from Strayer University.

Originally from South America Guyana, Runica spent her early life and career living and working with nonprofit organizations on various islands throughout the Caribbean.