Shaheen Husain’s Story – Principal – Accelerating Impact

Shaheen’s awareness of inequity began during her childhood in Africa where she observed the huge divide between those who had and those who did not. This awareness grew as she travelled through Asia, Europe, and North America. Therefore, it is no surprise that she has been focused on nonprofits for over 25 years, both professionally and as a volunteer. Her career with nonprofits began in higher education, at the University of California, Irvine where she served in several key roles
at the Paul Merage School of Business that included Chief Strategy Officer for the Centers of Excellence and Executive Director of Corporate Relations and Business Development. After UC Irvine, she transitioned to CHOC Children’s Foundation as the Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations, where she further honed her fund development and community engagement skills. It was gratifying to raise funds for the preeminent pediatric hospital in the region. Her time with Orange County United Way, as Vice President of Major Gifts, was deeply meaningful, especially the fundraising efforts she led on behalf
of homeless families and former foster youth. It was rewarding to work with community leaders, faith-based organizations, foundations, and
corporate entities that were united in their fight to eliminate homelessness in Orange County.

Shaheen’s experience as a nonprofit volunteer began in college. She trained to be a Peer Counselor at the Claremont Colleges’ Monsour Counseling Center. Dr. Karem Monsour trained her and her cohort to serve as counselors to fellow students who were in distress. They were the ‘first responders’ at their respective Claremont campuses. Other volunteer experiences followed as she began her professional life including serving as a Mentor to university students, and as a docent at a national art gallery. One of her most meaningful experiences was as a Career Counselor at the Women’s Opportunities Center in UC Irvine where the focus was on helping men and women, in transition, navigate next steps. Shaheen eventually became the Chair of the
counselors, serving to guide the recruitment and training of the volunteers. Currently, Shaheen serves as an Executive Coach with the Executive Coaches of Orange County (ECofOC) where the Vision is to: Empower nonprofit leaders in our community to solve social challenges, and the Mission is to: Develop nonprofit leaders, through professional coaching, to have maximum impact in our community.

Shaheen has a deep appreciation of how closely a nonprofit organization’s impact depends on the funds it is able to allocate to its mission. With that in mind, she has launched Accelerating Impact, a consulting practice, where she serves as a trusted partner to nonprofit leaders, focusing on fundraising strategies and coaching of staff for optimal results. It is her goal to help her clients increase their reach and to continue fulfilling their mission.