Nell Edgington has more than 20 years of experience innovating in the nonprofit sector. At Social Velocity she helps nonprofit leaders chart a strategic direction, achieve financial sustainability, and become more effective leaders.
In addition to leading Social Velocity, she writes and speaks extensively about moving the nonprofit sector and the philanthropy that funds it to become more effective at creating social change. Author of the popular Social Velocity blog, Nell has also contributed to the Center for Effective Philanthropy blog, the Grantmakers for Effective Organizations blog, the Huffington Post Impact blog, the Foundation Center blog, CausePlanet, Fundraising Success Magazine, the Philanthropy 2173 blog, the About.com Nonprofit blog, and the Chronicle of Philanthropy blog. She is the author of The Strategic Management of Charter Schools: Frameworks and Tools for Educational Entrepreneurs (2011, Harvard Education Press). Nell is also a member of the national Leap Ambassadors Community, a network of over 100 nonprofit thought leaders and practitioners working to create a high performing nonprofit sector.
Prior to Social Velocity, Nell transformed the fundraising and marketing functions at KLRU, Austin’s PBS (public broadcasting) station. She raised $5 million annually, led a team of 15 marketing and fundraising professionals, and helped lead the station’s strategic planning process. She conceived, secured funding for and implemented a new development plan which increased annual revenue by $1.6 million, with double or triple-digit percentage growth in major gifts, membership, corporate support and online giving. These accomplishments led KLRU to 5 national PBS Awards for fundraising excellence.
Previously, as Director of Development at the Capital Area Food Bank, she increased annual revenue by 40% to $2.5 million. Prior to that, Nell was a management consultant helping nonprofits create strategic, marketing, business and fundraising plans, launch earned revenue businesses, and develop their boards.
Before earning her MBA from the Kellogg School at Northwestern University, Nell worked at PBS (public broadcasting) headquarters in Washington, D.C. managing $1 million+ corporate sponsorship accounts and strengthening PBS’s marketing strategies. Prior to that, she led fundraising, marketing and board development efforts at the Oregon Children’s Foundation.
