Susan Schneweis
Executive Vice President

•	2005 Hartsook Companies Outstanding Fundraising Manager
•	Employee Ownership Council - 2006, 2007

Susan's love of fundraising began at the Wichita State University Endowment Association as executive assistant to the executive director. It's been onward and upward ever since.

At the University, Susan worked with major donors and volunteer leaders, publicized major gifts and managed special events. This experience prepared her for exceptional accomplishments over the next several years, first as associate director of the YWCA of Wichita, where she managed more than 18 fundraising events annually, and later as executive director of Hannah's House Foundation of Lawrence, a nonprofit group home for pregnant teens.

"Your agency can be in business for 50 years," says Susan, "but if the public doesn't know who you are or what you're about, it's like rowing upstream with one oar. I can help organizations craft a case for support that will really make people want to help them."

Prior to joining Hartsook Companies, Inc., Susan was associate director for the Topeka-based Kansas Action for Children, Inc., a nonprofit child advocacy organization. Challenged to raise unprecedented levels of general operating support, she developed creative new corporate giving and membership programs.

Since joining the firm, Susan has conducted several multimillion dollar campaigns as resident counsel for clients such as The Salvation Army of Topeka, YWCA Cass Clay and Marillac Center for Children. She has helped dozens of organizations through campaign readiness reviews and assessments, including Harvesters - The Community Food Network, Baker University, Girl Scouts of the Mid-Continent Council, The Salvation Army of Kansas City, Park University, the Kansas City Zoo and many others.

Susan shares her expertise in major gift fundraising, campaign management, board development and much more with clients nationwide. She serves Hartsook clients in various capacities, from ongoing counsel to lead consultant and team member on campaign and fundraising management teams.

Susan excels as a teacher and writer. She has presented The Integrated Fundraising Campaign^SM National Seminar Series in nearly a dozen cities and conducted workshops for the Kansas Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, the Missouri Center of Senior Center Administrators, the YMCA Mid-America Camping Conference, the Fraternity Executives Association, American Humanics Management Institute and the Council on Philanthropy of Greater Kansas City. Susan also provides board training nationwide through her popular workshops: "Are You Recruiting Good Board Members...or Just Dead Wood," and "Would You Consider a Gift…Board Members Making the Ask." She attended Dodge City Community College and is the author of several articles featured in Fund Raising Management and other publications.

Susan takes her professional as well as civic responsibilities seriously. A graduate of Leadership Lawrence and Leadership Kansas, she has been active in both the Lawrence and Topeka Chambers of Commerce and served as a member of the Douglas County Citizen Review Board. Susan served a seven-year gubernatorial appointment by Kansas Governor Bill Graves on the Kansas Board of Dental Examiners, where she was Vice President and served on the personnel committee. Susan is a member of the Council on Philanthropy and the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Susan and her husband, David, live in Lawrence, Kan. They have two grown sons, Brian and Christopher, and five grandchildren.