Blueprint for Good
Consulting for Non-Profit Organizations
About
Craig’s expertise is based on 16 years of experience as a Senior Program Officer at the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, a private grant-making foundation which awarded an average of $115 million annually through targeted programs. The Foundation consistently ranked among the top 20 nationally for funds distributed annually, and was recognized as one of the most efficient grant-making operations in the nation.
With a background in real estate and construction, Craig was engaged in all aspects of the Foundation’s cornerstone grant-making program that awarded an average of $51 million annually for capital projects at exemplary nonprofit cultural, human services, education and health organizations. Craig investigated, analyzed and evaluated applicants for the $32 million Oklahoma community centers initiative, ensuring successful outcomes through researching applicants’ strategic planning, program effectiveness, architectural planning and financial performance.
Craig also led the Foundation’s Hunger Relief Initiative, overseeing $80 million in planning, program and capital awards to advance effective and efficient charitable food distribution, including the funding and establishment of a network of hunger organizations in multiple states. He managed the research, development, launch and administration of the program, and led a planning team that included key national philanthropic partners, national industry leaders, direct service providers and key governmental partners.
In addition to his role at the Foundation, Craig was an active board member of Philanthropy Southwest, an organization dedicated to creating opportunities to exchange ideas, build relationships and advance philanthropic excellence. He also served as a Trustee for the Joseph E. and Mary Cacioppo Foundation in Tucson, Arizona for seven years. Craig has participated in numerous national and regional philanthropy conferences, as well as sharing his expertise through speaking engagements.
Craig earned a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degree in Real Estate and Finance from University of Arkansas. He also completed additional coursework in accounting and was a licensed real estate broker in Colorado, Iowa and Oklahoma.
Recent Clients
Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma (Strategic Planning)
Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley (Board Development)
The Children’s Center Rehabilitation Hospital (Capital Campaign Strategy)
United Way of Palm Beach County (Strategic Planning)
Second Harvest Food Bank (Strategic Planning)
Arkansas Food Bank (Project Management)
Feeding America (Task Force – Meeting Facilitation)
Nevada Museum of Art/Art Museum at Symphony Park (Merger Facilitation)
Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance (Program Evaluation)
Palm Beach County Food Bank (Strategic Planning)
Feeding Matters (Interim Chief Operations and Financial Officer)
Testimonials
Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma
“At the Community food bank of Eastern Oklahoma, we have benefited from Craig Willis’ expertise on two projects, each different in nature and scope. Craig is very bright, and he is adept at making the people he works with feel comfortable. He deals equally well with board and staff members. He has a knack for drawing out ideas from the group, and facilitating the decision process. Craig helped us envision what we needed, research available options and, occasionally, he respectfully challenged our assumptions. I know we had better outcomes because of his work and guidance. We are already looking ahead to our next project working with Craig and Blueprint for Good. “
Arkansas Food Bank
” Craig Willis worked with the Feeding America Food Banks in the state of Arkansas to develop a comprehensive and coordinated disaster response plan for the state. He provided facilitation, research and technical support for a year and a half that resulted in the first ever coordinated plan for food banks during a disaster. Arkansas not only completed the grant project on time with a high quality plan, but the state has received national recognition for our collaborative effort. These results are a credit to Craig’s ability and work ethic as he was the one who kept the team centered and focused. His knowledge and expertise of food banking and grants management were invaluable. Craig was able to bring knowledge from across the nation to the team help us synthesize it into a usable asset. While this grant was specific to disaster relief Craig will be used again as a consultant in other areas as his skill set and knowledge cuts across all topics and issues. “