Vice President of Philanthropy + Marketing
I am a mission-driven nonprofit executive with 15+ years of leadership across philanthropy, marketing, communications, disability services, and community engagement. I have generated resources, strengthened brands, advised CEOs and Boards, and led high-performing teams.
MPA • Organizational Communication • Nonprofit Leadership
My Executive Story
Some of the most meaningful work of my career began serving individuals with disabilities and their families at Fox Valley Special Recreation Association. I joined as Director of Development and was promoted to Superintendent of Communications & Engagement, expanding my leadership across philanthropy, marketing, public administration, Board relations, community engagement, and organizational leadership.
I built on that foundation at Outreach, a growing human-services nonprofit. During my five-year tenure, the organization's annual operating budget grew from approximately $6.7 million to $15 million. I served as a senior leader helping build the marketing, communications, donor engagement, philanthropic, and organizational capacity that supported that growth.
Across both organizations, my through line is the same: connect mission to audience, audience to relationship, and relationship to resources that let programs reach more people.
"Clearbrook represents an opportunity to bring these chapters together: returning to a mission serving people with disabilities while bringing broader executive, philanthropic, marketing, and organizational leadership experience."
Eric C. Smith, MPA
Vice President of Philanthropy + Marketing
My Executive Impact
Mission Experience
At Fox Valley Special Recreation Association, I served an organization dedicated to creating meaningful recreational and community opportunities for individuals with disabilities and their families. Disability services are part of my professional history, not simply an interest tied to this application.
My responsibilities spanned philanthropy, brand leadership, public administration, and the daily communication work that keeps families, staff, partners, and Board members informed and connected.
My Career Progression
Director of Development
Fox Valley Special Recreation Association
Superintendent of Communications & Engagement
Fox Valley Special Recreation Association
Senior Marketing Officer
Outreach
In the Field
Speaking on behalf of the mission, connecting staff, families, donors, and community partners around the outcomes their support makes possible.
Access + Innovation
At Fox Valley Special Recreation Association, I initiated and helped launch the Dr. William “Bill” Kelly Resource Library to address a simple but significant barrier: individuals with disabilities and their families should not be excluded from meaningful recreational opportunities because specialized equipment or technology is financially out of reach.
“Access should not depend on a family’s ability to purchase specialized resources.”
The Dr. Kelly Resource Library organized existing and newly acquired FVSRA resources into a lending library where participants could check out adaptive equipment, technology for virtual programming, and recreational resources at no cost.
With those resources at home, individuals with disabilities could continue opportunities for:
Programming figures describe the broader FVSRA virtual programming environment in which the Resource Library launched.
Philanthropy + Partnership
The Fox Valley Special Recreation Foundation provided a gift of technology to help launch the Resource Library, immediately making tablets available to individuals with disabilities for participation in virtual recreation.
It is a direct example of connecting philanthropy to a tangible barrier facing the people an organization serves, moving a gift from intention to participation.
The Dr. Kelly Resource Library
Watch the virtual presentation introducing the Resource Library and honoring the legacy of Dr. William “Bill” Kelly.
Mission + Legacy
The initiative was named the Dr. William “Bill” Kelly Resource Library in honor of Dr. Kelly, a strong advocate for ensuring that the special-needs community had access to recreation and leisure experiences.
Members of the Fox Valley Recreation Association and the Fox Valley Special Recreation Foundation formally presented the Resource Library to the Kelly family during a virtual livestream event.
Executive Leadership
“The Dr. Kelly Resource Library reflects how I approach mission-driven leadership: understand the barrier, bring the right people and resources together, and create a practical solution that expands access, dignity, and opportunity.”
Eric C. Smith, MPA
Vice President of Philanthropy + Marketing
Award-Winning Impact
Two 2021 Telly Awards recognized mission-driven storytelling I created while serving in the disability-services sector.
Gold
Branded Content
Not-for-Profit
The Telly Awards • 2021
Bronze
Branded Content
Social Impact
The Telly Awards • 2021
Philanthropy + Organizational Growth
I work from the conviction that philanthropy, marketing, communications, and organizational strategy must operate as one system. Donors respond to clarity, consistency, and evidence that their support changes outcomes.
Organizational Context
$6.7M to $15M
Outreach's annual operating budget over my five-year tenure as a senior leader helping build the organization's marketing, communications, and philanthropic capacity.
Summer Campaign Results
1.25M raised
Helped drive fundraising success, including a $729,000 (net) gala experience against a $605,000 goal, alongside appeals and donor engagement.
Executive + Board Leadership
I combine strong interpersonal communication with strategic leadership, organizational judgment, and accountability. I am comfortable in the boardroom and on the program floor, and I translate complex priorities into clear direction that teams and volunteers can act on.
Clinical + Human Services Marketing
I lead marketing strategy for Outreach's multi-site Counseling and Psychological Services, communicating complex clinical services to clients, families, referral partners, donors, and community stakeholders.
The work requires making clinical information accessible and compelling while holding to privacy, consent, Medicaid, and compliance frameworks, and I review every message for accuracy and dignity.
Expanding Access
This includes services that expanded access to care through Medicaid, with messaging for clients, families, referral partners, and donors, alongside trauma-informed facility branding designed to exceed compliance standards and customer experience.
My Portfolio
I selected this work for results, judgment, and storytelling rather than craft alone.
Fox Valley Special Recreation Association • 2021
Providing equitable access to recreation by empowering play every day. Packed with loads of fun, the Mobile Therapeutic Recreation bus travels throughout our service area delivering themed opportunities to engage, socialize, and increase activity in our community.
Fox Valley Special Recreation Association • 2020
Dan touched our hearts the minute we stepped on set. His story, captured in a simple video, is a timely reminder that thoughtful giving can make a significant impact.
2021 Telly Awards Gold Winner, Non-Profit Video
Outreach • 2026
A premier golf event uniting community leaders to raise funds that restore hope and transform lives.
Outreach • 2026
Growing up amid instability, Serena found hope through Outreach, pursuing her dream of becoming an attorney while empowering others.
Press + Community Engagement
Strategic communications extend beyond owned channels. I have developed stories, relationships, and media opportunities that bring organizational missions to broader audiences and strengthen community awareness.
June 15, 2021
Ignacio, who is blind, went from a handful of programs each year to several a day after FVSRA brought recreation directly to participants, earning him the Illinois Park and Recreation Association therapeutic recreation section's Participant of the Year award.
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May 13, 2021
FVSRA staff joined Feed My Starving Children to pack MannaPack meals, one of several partnerships, alongside CASA Kane County and Northern Illinois Food Bank, that extend the association's impact beyond therapeutic recreation.
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May 11, 2021
FVSRA unveiled a new brand identity, including a refreshed logo and color palette, designed to close the gap between brand values and customer experience through innovation and design.
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May 8, 2021
With programs meeting online during the pandemic, FVSRA invited other special recreation associations across Illinois to share resources, creating cooperative dance and trivia nights recognized with a statewide award.
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April 21, 2021
Thirty Rosary High School students and teachers joined FVSRA in a student-led day of service preparing programs for the summer season.
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March 12, 2021
FVSRA partnered with the Illinois Association of Park Districts to connect state legislators and park and recreation professionals on issues facing conservation, parks, and special recreation.
Read Full ArticleJuly 23, 2020
The Fox Valley Special Recreation Foundation marked ten years with a Batavia mural depicting a participant swimming freely through an aquatic recreational therapy program.
Read Full ArticleJuly 20, 2020
A partnership between FVSRA and the Association for Individual Development brought free fitness programming to more than 100 individuals with disabilities across 30 group homes.
Read Full ArticleJuly 16, 2020
Donor support kept 50+ weekly virtual programs free, opened a resource library of adaptive technology, and launched an online directory promoting FVSRA business partners.
Read Full ArticleMarketing + Brand Leadership
These are tools I use to advance organizational strategy, philanthropy, community engagement, and mission, not isolated creative skills.
My Education
My graduate and undergraduate study focused on public administration, organizational communication, governance, and community engagement.
Master of Public Administration
Aurora University • 2020
Graduate Certificate in Organizational Communication
Liberty University • 2020
Bachelor of Arts in Communications
Judson University • 2012
My Career Timeline
2021-Present
Senior Marketing Officer
Outreach
2020-2021
Superintendent of Communications & Engagement
Fox Valley Special Recreation Association
2019-2020
Director of Development
Fox Valley Special Recreation Association
2017-2019
Marketing & Communications Manager
Sugar Grove Park District
I bring together philanthropy, marketing, disability-services experience, executive leadership, and community engagement to help mission-driven organizations build the relationships, resources, and visibility necessary to grow.