About - Spark Point

About Spark Point

At Spark Point, we believe in the fight for equity. We work with clients in healthcare, human services, workforce development, the arts, and other critical sectors that help our neighbors and communities thrive.

With our combination of experience, know-how, and passion for progress, we are here to take the fear out of fundraising, simplify the process, and get results for your team so that you can focus on the work that matters: igniting social change and building a more equitable world.

Check out our Case Studies to see what our team can do.

OUR VALUES

Nonprofit Sector – We understand and value the nonprofit sector as a field and for its ability to change the world in meaningful and important ways.

Ingenuity – The same old, same old doesn’t fly. We know what works, but we also know when what works could be even better. We don’t rest on our laurels, we plant new seeds.

Integrity – We operate with an unabashed commitment to honesty and morality.

Equity – We are ambassadors for equity and have a deep commitment to creating a level playing field, both within and beyond our company.

Kindness – We aim to always treat each other and our clients with kindness and care, understanding their humanity and varied life experiences.

A Commitment to Ending Racism – Our commitment to equity is not superficial. Spark Point, like many organizations, is on a journey to eliminate racism and white supremacy from its operations. If this resonates with you then you are well-aligned with our company.

Our Team

Whitney Brimfield

Founder & CEO

Whitney knows how to get things done. With more than 20 years of experience, she can cut through the clutter, identify opportunities, and guide you to the right fundraising strategies to fuel your mission now and in the future.

Whitney has more than 20 years of experience in fundraising, business development, and social enterprise at the local, state, and national level. During her career she has worked in public health, education, health policy, youth development, the environment, and the arts, raising millions of dollars for a variety of causes.

Along the way, she's written hundreds of grants, designed highly successful development strategies, coached Boards of Directors and executive leadership to overcome fundraising fears, engaged corporate donors, and built profitable membership programs. She brings a marketing eye to resource development, always thinking about how an organization's communications and messaging must dovetail with its investor outreach.

As Spark Point's CEO, she leads client engagements, providing strategic guidance and detail-driven implementation. She is as energized by charting strategic directions and finding solutions as she is by day-to-day program management. She is a sought after strategist and go-to team member.

She holds a Master of Health Science from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a Bachelors from Haverford College. In her free time she enjoys creative pursuits like photography, painting, and improv and spending time with friends and family.

Calvin Koon-Stack

Director of Foundation Strategy

Calvin is driven by stories—finding them, telling them, and making them come to life. With strong digital expertise and a commitment to impact-driven communication, Calvin is the person you want helping you tell your story.

Calvin is a storyteller with ten years of experience in media and nonprofit communications. During his career, he has worked in print and radio, and in 2015, he moved to DC to work in strategic communications, conducting projects for organizations like the Rockefeller Foundation, Amnesty International, and Ashoka.

As Director of Foundation Strategy at Spark Point, Calvin leads client projects, manages the grant writing team, and builds Spark Point's grant writing protocols. He enjoys nothing more than learning from people who have made change on the ground—Spark Point's clients—and he looks forward to lifting up their voices, sharing their stories, and building an engaged community.

Calvin holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and a minor in Spanish from the University of South Carolina Honors College, as well as Master of Arts in Communication Research from the University of California, Davis. He enjoys hiking, taking pictures of dogs, and spending too much time at coffeeshops.

Bre Swims

Managing Director

Bre solves problems – and if a solution doesn’t exist, she will build one herself. A seasoned political operative with years of experience managing people, systems, and budgets, Bre is the one you want keeping an eye on operations so that Spark Point can deliver for you.

In her 10 years of experience, Bre has managed million plus dollar budgets on Capitol Hill, run the federal agriculture portfolio for the New York State Executive Chamber, and overseen the digital fundraising programs for numerous Members of Congress, PACs, and 501(c)4 organizations.

As the Managing Director at Spark Point, Bre ensures that project management systems and workflows are functioning seamlessly for both team members and clients. She also collaborates with the leadership team to set the strategic vision for client relations, marketing, and operations. Once the vision is set, Bre leads operations with both the tenacity of a political strategist and the people-first focus of a trained conflict resolution facilitator.

Bre has deep southern roots. She is a native Georgian and her family has owned multiple dirt race tracks in the state for more than fifty years. For school, she attended the University of Alabama, where she obtained a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies, two minors in Italian and Women’s Studies, and a Master of Arts in Gender and Race Studies. In 2016, she won the National Dialogue Award from the Sustained Dialogue Institute, alongside the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

When she’s not building systems or closing loops, you can find Bre volunteering on local political races, petting every dog she passes on the street, eating far too much sushi, powerlifting, or exploring her new home of Seattle, WA.

Liz Winston

Client Manager

Liz is a trailblazer. With more than 20 years of experience in nonprofit development and operations, she has the strategic perspective you need to navigate the wilds of grants world and reach your development goals.

Liz is a seasoned nonprofit professional who brings more than 20 years of experience to the Spark Point team. A DC-area native, Liz has worked as a writer, editor, journalist, educator, arts administrator, and grant writer. In addition to her work at Spark Point, Liz oversees the grants program at the Keegan Theatre near Dupont Circle, and is the Senior Editor and Development Director of the Massachusetts-based Provincetown Arts magazine and Provincetown Arts Press.

Previously, Liz served as Administrator for the Boldface Conference for Emerging Writers at the University of Houston, as Director of the Provincetown, Massachusetts artists’ collective ArtStrand, and as a grant writer and development associate at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies, Writers in the Schools, and the Houston Chamber Choir, among many others.

As Client Manager at Spark Point Fundraising, Liz helps our clients by building strong development plans and sticking to them. Getting to know nonprofits and working with staff to create and sharpen organizational vision and high-level strategy is one of her particular passions.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Sarah Lawrence College and a Master of Fine Arts in Fiction Writing and Literature from the University of Houston. In addition to surfing, longboarding, running, and hiking, Liz’s passions are reading, writing, cooking, and not cleaning.

Susan Gies Conley

Senior Grant Writer

Susan delights in people. With kindness, compassion, and years of nonprofit development experience, she knows how hard fundraising can be, and she has the skills to guide your team to the next level of success.

Susan has 25 years of experience in the development world. With a mind strongly connected to her heart, Susan cares about the people who will benefit from her work. The relationships that connect us to one another are where she draws her energy.

Susan has nurtured relationships with private family foundations and established collegial connections with government grant administrators. With more than 25 years of experience in nonprofit development, she has secured funding in the fields of experiential education, environmental education, domestic violence services, educational advocacy, legal advocacy for children, higher education, scholarships, and anything else that can move a mission forward.

As a senior grant writer at Spark Point Fundraising, she brings her vast experience and heartfelt compassion to grant writing and client relations. If your organization needs a caring professional with a listening ear, you need Susan on your team. Prior to joining Spark Point, Susan served as Director of Development at the Children’s Law Center of Central North Carolina and at Eagle’s Nest Foundation, and as Director of Annual Giving at Salem Academy and College.

Susan holds a BA from Wellesley College and an M.Ed. from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She rejoices in her local arts community as a singer and fan of artists of all kinds. While Susan’s worldview has been informed by her professional life, she will always tell you that she has learned the most from being the mother of two wonderful, wacky teenagers.

Hannah Paton

Grant Writer

Hannah sees connections. With experience that spans public health, higher education, economic development, and more, she has the perspective you need to connect the dots between your work and your funders’ interests for winning grant proposals.

Hannah is an experienced grant writer with more than seven years of experience in grants development and administration, events coordination, community engagement, and volunteer management for nonprofits of all sizes. Her varied background allows her to see how your organization is driving change in the communities that you serve, and she can articulate that vision to secure the support you need to be successful. As a grant writer at Spark Point Fundraising, Hannah works with clients to develop winning proposals that sustain your mission and catalyze long-term change. Her favorite part about grant writing is learning new information from experts in the field.

Prior to joining Spark Point, Hannah served as the Grants Development Manager for North Idaho College, where she supported grant projects that led to the launch of the Venture Center and Product Development Lab – which serves as a hub of entrepreneurship and innovation in northern Idaho – and the creation of the Children’s Center Outdoor Learning Environment. The common thread throughout all of her work is her ability to connect with and amplify voices of people working to create a better world.

Hannah’s love of art and theater first led her to non-profit work. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Acting from the University of Montana and a Certificate in Grants Management from Management Concepts, a strategic partner of the Grant Professionals Association. Hannah enjoys painting, playing the ukulele, and reading science fiction in her spare time.

Caroline Santos

Operations Manager

Caroline knows support is key to success. Her attentiveness, passion for teamwork, and thoughtful communication will help keep you on-track to meeting – and exceeding! – your fundraising goals.

As an Operations Manager, Caroline brings impeccable organizing skills to her work with clients: She supports client teams in tracking action items, managing files, developing social media content, and conducting research. Prior to joining Spark Point, Caroline volunteered with nonprofits in her home state of Florida. She provided tutoring, supervision, and mentorship to children at the Peaceful Paths Domestic Violence Agency, and provided administrative and fundraising support to the Lotus House Women’s Shelter. Caroline’s experience with these organizations inspired her to learn more about the nonprofit sector and its vital role in building a supportive community.

Caroline is currently completing her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Sociology from the University of Florida, where she studies political institutions and the power of advocacy. Through her work with Spark Point, she is excited to develop a deeper understanding of social problems and the organizations working to fix them. In her free time, she loves to cook, hang out with friends, and going to the beach.

Mike Sinck

Grant Writer

Mike knows the right words matter. He is always listening for the language that will help funders see your organization’s work and mission clearly – and motivate them to act.

A poet and educator by training, Mike brings intentionality, precision, and economy of language to all of his writing. His motivation to learn grant writing stems from years of volunteering with nonprofit organizations and a desire to use his skill as a writer to make a material impact. He believes grant writing is both artful and strategic: A well-crafted proposal can tell the story of your organization, inviting key funders into a new, enduring partnership.

Before joining Spark Point, Mike taught composition and creative writing, and served as Editor-in-Chief of Santa Ana River Review. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Franklin and Marshall College as well as a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from University of California, Riverside. When he isn’t reading and writing poetry, you can find him napping on the floor with his cat, Lily.

Sera Gorucu

Apprentice Grant Writer

Sera is an advocate. With a thoughtful approach and a keen eye for detail, she is dedicated to getting your voice heard – helping drive resources to your mission, and your community.

Sera is a driven young professional who wants to make an impact with her career. As a grant writing apprentice, she is actively learning the ins and outs of grant writing and foundation relations, while supporting our clients working to reduce poverty, confront homeless, and advance equity across the DC metro area. A skilled writer and collector of time management strategies, she is eager to work with organizations that are devoted to the progress of their communities.

Prior to joining Spark Point, Sera was a Project 55 Fellow for the Illinois State Board of Education. In this role, she assisted with the management of Board meetings and facilitated discussions on a book study meant to help raise racial consciousness throughout the agency and promote the making of equitable decisions for Illinois' students. She also has several years of volunteer experience in education and youth/peer mentorship.

Sera holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Princeton University. In her free time, you’ll find her on a walk with a podcast in her ears or catching up on TV shows with friends.

Fundraising is about more than donations. It’s about getting people to invest in the future. Let us help you find your funding spark to ignite change in your community.