Sara Leonard is a solutions-oriented advancement professional with more than 25 years of experience in development and administration in the nonprofit field. She received her bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Tampa and her MBA from the University of South Florida. She is a Certified Fund Raising Executive and has been named as a Master Trainer by the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Sara has worked in the nonprofit sector raising funds for health care, educational and cultural organizations. She managed development operations, including donor identification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship, annual giving, major gift cultivation and solicitation, staff training and management, board and volunteer management, foundation and corporate support, sponsorships, annual funds, special events and in-kind support. She is widely considered an expert in crisis fundraising and has guided organizations through capital campaigns both large and small.

Sara launched the Sara Leonard Group in April 2015 to provide consulting, coaching and training to fundraisers, CEOs and nonprofit board members.

Sara serves on the board of directors of the Suncoast Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and New Tampa Young Life. She is a former board member of the AFP Florida Caucus. She lives in Tampa with her husband and two children.