Karen Eber Davis, President
Karen Eber Davis is an idea consultant, facilitator and writer. As president of a consulting firm, she draws on her full set of skills to help organizations plan and fund their way to excellence. Her firm has attracted such clients as the Ringling College of Art and Design, Circus Sarasota, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Suncoast Workforce Development Board, Habitat for Humanity of Sarasota and more than 150 local, regional and national organizations. Her consulting work is respected for its innovation, enthusiasm and integrity as well as its practical approach which affirms the spirit and psychology of nonprofit organizations.
Consulting. Karen Eber Davis' strategic consulting has involved designing the Sarasota School-to-Work Program as well as funding and launching the Women Resource Center's Employment Solutions and the ELCA's Florida-Bahamas Synod Resource Center. Other strategy consultation resulted in grant funds and programs for minority families, high-impact affordable education for older adults and cultural activities for low-income children, to name a few.
Facilitating. Karen Eber Davis is a frequent leader and speaker at workshops on planning, creativity and grants. She has presented to and facilitated for such diverse audiences as the Sarasota Health Department, Catholic Charities stakeholders, Florida-Bahamas Synod, the Early Learning Coalition and the Association of Fundraising Professionals. In addition, she has designed, planned and facilitated numerous retreats for board and staffs to help them accomplish challenging goals.
Writing. Along with her grant-writing skills, that have helped nonprofits win millions of dollars, her publications for nonprofit organizations include Grant-tastic!, More Local Sources, and Local Sources (now in its fifth edition). These sought-after resources have proved invaluable for organizations seeking competitive funding. Her quarterly newsletter, Added Value, provides readers with up-to-date information on nonprofit planning, facilitation and grants. Other publications include Help I'm Writing a Grant, How to Run a Great Meeting and How to Enlist Great Help. She has been published and quoted in the Sarasota Herald Tribune, Advancing Philanthropy, The Lutheran and the Lutheran Link.
Background: Before founding the firm, Karen Eber Davis developed the Sarasota County Community Development Block Grant Program. Under her leadership, this infant program received the National Association of Counties National Affordable Housing Award for the Down Payment Assistance Program. The program has helped over 1,800 families realize their dreams of home ownership. She also worked with the City of Ft. Lauderdale and the Florida Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs where she developed the division's first audit program. In an earlier position with Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Tampa, she develop three youth and children ministries, senior adult and family activities. Her work with the Florida Synod of the Lutheran Church in America supported youth ministries in congregations across Florida.
As a Graduate Fellow, she earned her Masters Degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of South Florida with a focus on finance and marketing. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Connecticut with a bachelor's degree in psychology. During her undergraduate studies, she participated in two award-winning research projects, one on self-esteem and a second on children's concepts of sexual identity.
She is a member of the Society of Advancement of Consulting and the Association of Fund Raising Professionals. For the later, she serves as Co-Chair of the Membership Committee for the Southwest Chapter.
As a testimony to her organizational skills, she once planned a six-month cruise to the Bahamas during which, other than fresh produce, the only items that ran out were TP and chicken bouillon.
Call or email today to learn how these skills can be used to help lift your organization onward and upward to excellence.
P.O. Box 15464Sarasota, FL 34277, USA
941-924-4860
941-924-6153 FAXemail