COLLEEN P. DUERR, MS, CFRE

Ms. Duerr is the President of Shifting Gears Consulting, an independent consulting firm that focuses on training, communications, writing, strategic planning, and sales/fundraising support for both for-profit and not-for-profit entities.

She gained her business experience as a Vice President with CoreStates Bank in Philadelphia, PA where she sold treasury management services to the large corporate market. She also served on many internal product development teams and conducted training sessions in the areas of Trade Show Management, Certified Cash Manager Exam review, and Customer Service for Cash Management. She has presented at both the local and national level for the Association of Financial Professionals and is permanent Certified Cash Manager.

With a passion for nonprofit work, Ms. Duerr has decades of experience in that sector. Prior to starting Shifting Gears, she served as Development Director and Co-Director of Family Promise of Hunterdon County, an agency focused on sheltering and eventually housing homeless families. It was there that she gained enormous insight into the challenges of running a social services agency on a tight budget. She also honed her skills in: development, community education, communication, social media marketing, non-profit budgeting, organizational leadership, board collaboration, and even some case management. That is not to minimize skills gained in the areas of: pest control, waste disposal, child care, and storage of unwieldy objects. Prior to that, she was Vice President of America’s Grow-a-Row, Development Officer for the Hunterdon Medical Center Foundation, Founder of a Fit for Cancer fundraiser, Coach/Fundraiser for the Philadelphia Youth Organization, and thousands of volunteer hours given to a long list of charitable organizations. Her responsibilities both as a volunteer and as an employee have included: fundraising, volunteer management, education, database implementation and updates, marketing, website creation and management, event management, social media strategy, communications, and assistance with budgeting and long-term organizational planning.

Ms. Duerr is a volunteer advocate for children in foster care with CASA/SHaW, volunteers weekly as an Order Coordinator for the Flemington Area Food Pantry, organizes concerts and housing for the African Children’s Choir, volunteers with Family Promise, jumps in to help with a variety of mission projects, and has given countless hours as a Presbyterian elder and deacon. You can count on her to lend a hand.

Ms. Duerr earned a Masters of Science in Nonprofit Leadership from La Salle University in January 2023 and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the Pennsylvania State University, including a semester abroad at the University of Manchester, England. She is a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE), a certified Nonprofit Lifecycles Consultant, and is pursuing a Certificate in Non-Profit Executive Leadership from Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. At the tender young age of 41, she earned her Black Belt in Taekwondo (#hardestthingever). At 49, she ran her first marathon (#neveragain) and at 50 completed her first olympic distance triathlon (#notawful). Most importantly, she takes every opportunity to read relevant books, take classes, attend seminars and use the web as an educational tool – she’s always trying something new and always learning!