Coreen Campos first knew the Marjaree Mason Center as the place where she and her mom got help. After overcoming a difficult childhood, Campos went on to earn two Fresno State degrees and built a career as a nonprofit leader. Now the same organization that sheltered Campos as a child has honored her as an example of professional success.
Campos was recognized by the Marjaree Mason Center at the Top Ten Professional Women Awards presented on Oct. 21.
“This award is kind of full circle for me, because when I was a little girl, my mom and I stayed at the Marjaree Mason Center,” Campos said. “I feel incredibly honored, because the mission of the center is so close to my heart, and I have a personal connection.”
Campos, who earned a special bachelor’s degree in nonprofit administration and an MBA at Fresno State, was honored for her community service and extensive career as a leader of community-based organizations. Starting her career as a policy advocate for Resources for Independence Central Valley, Campos has served as CEO of Focus Forward and vice president of United Way Fresno and Madera Counties. In 2023, Campos founded her own firm, Coreen Campos & Associates, which provides consultancy services for nonprofit organizations and school districts.
“Coreen’s story is one of resilience, hard work and positivity,” said Ashlee Wolf, director of philanthropy and communication for the Marjaree Mason Center. “She came into contact with the Marjaree Mason Center during what wasn’t always an easy childhood. Today, she’s a partner to the Marjaree Mason Center in advocating for those who need services and need organizations like ours to provide resources and keep building toward a healthy future.”
At Fresno State, Campos was a Renaissance Scholar and a student in the Humanics Program, and she said the two programs gave her the foundation for her success.
“Renaissance Scholars and the Humanics program transformed my life,” Campos said. “Renaissance Scholars gave me the footing to succeed at Fresno State, and the Humanics Program was one of the greatest things that propelled my career.”
Campos said the practical training she received in the Humanics Program launched her career in community-based organizations.
“The Humanics Program is not just about theoretical learning. It’s really practice-based,” Campos said. “When you take a class in fundraising and grant writing, you’re actually writing real grants for real organizations and raising real money for real community-based organizations in Fresno. When you take the philanthropy class, you’re actually making grants and awarding funds and figuring out how to manage the impact of these funds.
“When I graduated from Fresno State, I had real experience,” Campos said. “I could talk to an employer and say, ‘Not only do I understand a grant, I can write a grant. Not only do I understand board development, I can do board facilitation and training.’”
After receiving her bachelor’s degree in 2012, Campos rapidly ascended into leadership positions at community nonprofits, raising millions of dollars for education, incarcerated youth, people with disabilities and other community services.
Campos said pursuing an MBA at Fresno State was a natural next step in developing her career in leadership.
“I think often in community-based work, people forget that these are incorporated organizations,” Campos said. “You need to have business prowess to run a successful, mission-driven organization. The mission is the heart of the organization, and the finance and operations are the head. You’ve got to have both, otherwise the organization is not going to survive.”
Through her consulting firm, Campos offers hands-on services to community-based organizations based on her years of nonprofit experience.
“We’re hands on. We’re not going to just talk you through a strategic plan. We’re going to find the right level of support for your organization,” Campos said. “If it’s just to offer advising or a plan, that’s fine. But we’ll also do the staff training, we write the grants, we’ll help evaluate the program and help your organization be the best it can be in fulfilling your mission. We do everything from fundraising to grant writing, strategy, board development and training, and we love it.”
The Marjaree Mason Center has presented the Top Ten Professional Women Awards since 1983. The center selects honorees from community nominations. Wolf said the awards highlight the achievements of women and draw attention to the center’s work in supporting survivors of domestic violence.
“It’s an opportunity every year for the community to honor 10 extraordinary women who have excelled in their professions,” Wolf said. “We have a wonderful community who shows up to support these women, and it’s an amazing platform to talk about the mission of the Marjaree Mason Center.”
Campos plans to expand her company’s client base throughout the Central Valley. She said nonprofit organizations play an essential role in supporting Valley residents and developing the region.
“If we can have more of an abundance mindset within our community, there doesn’t have to be a shoestring approach to providing good services,” Campos said. “The organizations I work with find people when they are at their worst, and they help them get back on their feet and find their way, which helps their families and their neighbors, and everybody wins.”
