Biography

Steve Werner is a consultant to the nonprofit sector. With 25 years of experience in major gift fundraising, board leadership, program development and evaluation, strategic planning and organizational development, he helps nonprofit organizations to grow programs and resources. Previously, he served as Executive Director and Corporate Secretary for Water For People and Water For People - Canada, international non-profit organizations that are helping people in developing countries obtain access to safe drinking water and proper sanitation. Water For People is based in Denver, Colorado and is the charity of choice for the North American water industry. Water For People conducts programs in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. As executive director, Werner was able to increase income from $1.38 million when he started in 2002 to $4.3 million in 2006. In the same time frame, programs increased four-fold in the number of projects and the number of people served. The overseas staff increased from 4 in four countries to 20 in five countries. A new strategic plan was developed and India was added as a new country program. New program partnerships were developed with institutional and nongovernmental organizations. A Fellowship program was created to bring water professionals from developing countries to the U.S. for three months of study and mentoring. The headquarters staff increased from 7 to 18 staff positions. Local volunteer committees across North America increased from 35 to 55. From 2003 to 2007, Water For People earned Charity Navigator’s 4-star rating, its highest rating for non-profit excellence. The Denver Business Journal rated Water For People as one of the best managed nonprofit organizations in Colorado. Before Water For People, Werner worked for three of the largest and most successful non-profit organizations in the United States. He rose rapidly to senior management positions with the American Cancer Society, CARE, and Habitat for Humanity International. He is knowledgeable in all aspects of non-profit management, administration and fund-raising, and he is recognized as a leader within his field. Werner previously had a successful consulting business for national and international organizations in the areas of advocacy, fund-raising and marketing, board development and training, planning, and management systems. As Senior Vice President of Programs for Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI), Werner was responsible for all house-building, volunteer support, and ancillary programs that were carried out by 1400 affiliate organizations in the U.S. and in 56 countries around the world. Since that was a time of tremendous growth for HFHI, Werner also oversaw a re-structuring, which led to more services, staff and offices being located closer to the U.S. affiliates and overseas national organizations. He was also responsible for establishing management and communications systems, which improved the relationship between headquarters and the field. He was a member of the executive staff and served as a corporate officer. Werner was responsible for over 400 staff and international partners, who worked in fifteen regional centers in the U.S. and also in the Asia/Pacific, Latin America/Caribbean, Africa/Middle East, and Europe/Canada/Newly Independent States areas. HFHI’s annual program budget was over $45 million. The consolidated financial statement with U.S. affiliates and national organizations was over $330 million. Before HFHI, Werner was Regional Director for CARE, the international relief and development organization. He was based in Denver, Colorado, where he supervised the major gifts and public relations program for ten states in the Midwest, Southwest, and Rocky Mountain regions. Werner managed four field offices, raised over $2 million annually in unrestricted donations, and cultivated support from some of the most influential individuals, corporations, foundations, and organizations in the country. He was responsible for establishing and managing several of CARE’s most prestigious events. Prior to CARE, Werner served as Area Director of the American Cancer Society (ACS) in San Antonio, Texas. He managed over 30 staff, who in turn managed a volunteer-based program which annually served over 2000 cancer patients, educated over 500,000 people about cancer risks and prevention, and raised $2 million dollars for cancer research and cancer control programs. His area was larger than 28 states in its size, productivity, funds raised, number of staff, and number of volunteers. Werner oversaw two of the largest Cattle Baron fundraising events in Texas and he solicited the largest individual donation that the ACS had ever received. His area received more national ACS awards, two years in a row, then had ever been received by any office in the country. Werner is a Fellow of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation in Battle Creek, Michigan and of the Salzburg Seminar in Salzburg, Austria. He is a past chairman of National Peace Corps Association, the Peace Corps alumni organization. He has also served in leadership positions locally with Rotary clubs, international festival organizations, and other community associations. He has extensive experience in the non-profit sector in the areas of board development, nominating and recruiting, establishing grassroots organizations that last, the proper role of the board of directors, international development, development of a grassroots advocacy program, training, and team building. During his career, Werner as worked or traveled to over 55 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia, Africa and Europe. Most of these counties were developing nations where CARE, Peace Corps, Habitat for Humanity, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation were conducting programs.