Advancing the Greater Good
OUR TEAM
Our Founder
KRISTIN RAACK, CFRE, GPC
Principal
Seasoned fund development leader. Over the past 20 years, she’s helped a diverse portfolio of nonprofits support their missions. She guides clients to success with annual funds, capital campaigns, major gifts, corporate/foundation relations, strategic planning, and organizational assessments. Broad experience ranging from social service to education, healthcare, and the arts. Clients range from volunteer-driven initiatives to multi-million-dollar institutions. She’s equally focused on advancing the nonprofit sector, through past and current roles (respectively) on Chicago Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), Chicago Chapter of the Grant Professionals Association (GPA), and Legacy Collective; presenting at local and national conferences; and earning the distinguished Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) and Grants Professional Certified (GPC) credentials. When she’s outside the helm of AltruNext, you can find her curled up with a good book or walking her dog, Scout.
Our Team
Like you, we’re passionate about advancing the greater good.
AltruNext team members bring a diverse set of experiences – education, healthcare, social services, youth development – to provide bench strength to a broad range of teams.
Sheree Goertzen
Associate
Strategic thinker extraordinaire. Specializes in working with established small nonprofits who want to grow or expand their capacity. Particularly adept at working with organizations specializing in youth development, food systems, community development, and arts/culture. Enjoys hiking, reading, and buying more houseplants.
Michelle Golden
Associate
Powerhouse project manager. Helps organizations to work smarter, not harder, in the realm of grants by implementing grant management processes for prospect research, proposal writing and editing, and post-award grant compliance. Extensive experience with Federally Qualified Health Centers and other similar organizations that are trying to make the lives of others better through the execution of a strong vision for change. Enjoys spending time with family and being outdoors riding bikes or gardening.
Don Raack
Managing Director
Effective problem-solver. Narrows in on simple, structured solutions to complicated (and sometimes stressful!) problems. Enjoys working with high-performing teams to triage and prioritize by leveraging individual strengths. Loves coaching youth and playing recreational ice hockey, and keeping up with current events over a cup of coffee.
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Diana Shea
Associate
Operations and data strategist. Appreciates working with clients who are at a growth inflection point, looking to abandon the slapdash approach and systemize their processes to become more efficient, professionalize their product, and expand their impact. Loves being outside – walking the dog, riding bikes with her kids, and traveling.
Laura Stukel
Associate
Connector of people and ideas. Focuses on guiding people and organization through change by sharing relevant tools and crafting amazing grant proposals to help them succeed. Highly experienced with federal grants, energy sector, and international development. Loves hosting international visitors, volunteering for Soccer Gear for Zambia, and baking!