About

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 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

Senior Grant Writer

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 Senior Grant Writer at Spark Point, Calvin leads client projects, manages contract grant writers, 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.

Liz Winston

Client Manager

Liz is a trailblazer. With more than 20 years of nonprofit experience, she has the skills you need to chart a course, navigate big challenges, 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 Rhea

Project Manager

Susan loves to organize. With more than 20 years of communications experience and a rich background in managing large scale projects, her focus is tracking deliverables, keeping projects on time, and making sure all team members are communicating regularly throughout the life of your project.

As a Project Manager at Spark Point, Susan brings her love of organizing to work in a hands-on way, focusing on maximizing project management tools across projects to keep things running smoothly.

Susan earned her degree in Communications from Calvin College. She has spent her life’s work supporting a range of nonprofit organizations in a communications capacity — including the World Wildlife Fund, the African Wildlife Fund, the Arlington Community Foundation, and the Community Foundation for the National Capital Region. Most recently, Susan spent 13 years working at the Alliance for Justice, where she served as Communications and Web Manager, managing the organization’s three websites and online advocacy presence and outreach. At the Alliance, Susan managed content production for the web across multiple departments, and led the organization through several large-scale redesign projects.

In addition to her work at Spark Point, Susan is the Artistic Director of The Keegan Theatre, where she oversees day-to-day operations and leads the company through its season planning, audience outreach, and other brand initiatives, which includes overseeing the grants and fundraising efforts of the theater. As an actor and director, Susan has been a part of many award-winning productions for Keegan Theatre, where she also serves on the Board of Directors.

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.

Susana Saldarriaga Arango

Grant Writer

Susana is always curious. Whether it's about the tiny details or the bigger picture, she is always looking for a better and deeper understanding of the problems that need to be addressed.

Having been born in Colombia and raised in Costa Rica, Susana brings a multi-cultural background that is especially helpful when thinking outside the box. Additionally, having recently completed an MA/BA in Philosophy from American University, she has the analytical and critical thinking skills necessary to know what questions need to be asked.

Before joining the Spark Point team, Susana volunteered, interned, and worked at a series of non-profits, all dedicated to building a more equitable and sustainable world – with a particular focus on communities of color and people living with low incomes. Most of Susana’s work has focused on building trusting relationships with youth – be it as a teacher, tutor, or case manager. It is through these experiences that she realized that she wanted to continue to work for mission-driven organizations.

Caroline Santos

Operations Associate

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 Associate, 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 Writing Apprentice

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.

About Spark Point

Our Team

Whitney Brimfield

Founder & CEO

Calvin Koon-Stack

Senior Grant Writer

Liz Winston

Client Manager

Susan Rhea

Project Manager

Hannah Paton

Grant Writer

Susana Saldarriaga Arango

Grant Writer

Caroline Santos

Operations Associate

Mike Sinck

Grant Writing Apprentice

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