Candace Lopez is a career nonprofit professional with more than two decades of experience in fundraising and development. She began her career as an intern with the Los Angeles World Affairs Council in 2004 and has since had the privilege of serving several nonprofit organizations across multiple regions. Her work has primarily focused on fundraising and development, with expertise as a Development Generalist specializing in individual giving, program development, strategic planning, building and developing high-performing teams, and operational efficiency.

Throughout her career, Candace has raised funds for organizations in Austin, San Antonio, Los Angeles, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Her fundraising portfolio spans a diverse range of causes, including civil liberties, the arts, higher education, domestic violence prevention, gender equity, and queer philanthropy.

Candace transitioned into consulting after years of both formal and informal advising within the nonprofit sector. Through her experience, she has developed a deep understanding of both the factors that contribute to organizational success and the leadership dynamics that can negatively impact morale and sustainability. She has witnessed how ego-driven leadership, stagnation in positions of power, and unrealistic fundraising expectations can hinder an organization’s mission and create unhealthy workplace cultures. These experiences inspired her to work alongside organizations to help shift the trajectory of the nonprofit industry.

Her consulting practice is grounded in implementing research-based tools and strategies designed to build strong, sustainable development programs while addressing the toxic patterns that often plague nonprofit organizations. Candace is passionate about helping organizations establish healthy, mission-driven cultures that support long-term impact and organizational resilience.

She believes nonprofit and community-based work should serve as the moral compass of the workforce, and is committed to helping organizations create healthier programs while setting a new standard for mission-based work.