Maria Flippen
Executive Director

For over 15 years, Maria Flippen, MPA, CFRE, has passionately and enthusiastically worked to help provide services/programs to the clients of nonprofits. Throughout her career as a fundraiser, she has successfully developed and cultivated both internal and external relationships that fostered partnerships in various planning and resource development projects. Maria is driven by her desire to help fill the gaps that nonprofits experience as they strive to provide quality programs to their client base. Her experience includes researching, planning, writing federal, state, and private/corporation foundation grants for agencies such as Dallas County Community College District (DCCCD), Shared Housing, AIDS Interfaith Network, Spindletop Center, and others. While at DCCCD, Maria led a team of professionals in creating and providing resource development training with a focus on federal and state grants for the college district, as well as community organizations.

Maria’s background also includes recruiting, training, and managing volunteers (including board members). She has planned, managed, and successfully executed numerous special events; including researching individual, corporate and private foundation prospects, cultivating, soliciting, asking, and recognizing donors, and compiling budgets and reports associated with the events. She is also experienced in researching, implementing, and utilizing donor software for tracking, reporting, and communicating with donors. She has written strategic resource development plans, policies and procedures, and training documents.

As a volunteer leader, one of her most fulfilling opportunities was when she served as a national volunteer for the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s Scholarship Committee. The committee was charged with selecting college-bound students to receive full scholarships to attend a four-year college of his/her choice. Additionally, she has served on the Federal Funding Task Force for the Council of Resource Development (CRD). In this role, Maria had the opportunity to meet and build relationships with federally elected officials’ staff members as well as program officers at some of the nation’s largest public agencies; including the Department of Education, US Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Labor, and National Science Foundation. In her community, Maria has served as a committee member for the Beaumont Chamber of Commerce and board member for Spindletop Rotary. Maria was awarded the Paul Harris Award in 2011 by the Spindletop Rotary for her dedication to serving the community. She is also a proud Girl Scout, serving as troop leader for two years. Maria earned both a Masters of Public Affairs and Bachelors of Art in Political