About Us
We work with nonprofits to develop tools to communicate their mission and work, identify challenges and build the skills needed to address those challenges.
Kansas City has an amazing nonprofit community full of vibrant arts and cultural organizations, passionate health and human services organizations and innovative housing and environmental groups. Our nonprofit community contributes to the cultural vitality of our beautiful city, ensures the sustainability of its environment, and provides support to the people who live here.
Visit our Results page to see feedback from some of our clients and a list of great organizations we have served.
Our vision
A thriving nonprofit community with abundant resources.
Our Story
Futureful began as Aguirre Nonprofit Consulting in 2016. After several years in nonprofit administration, operations, and fundraising, founder Jaime Aguirre was searching for a way to expand the resources available to Kansas City nonprofits. She began with just two clients, and has grown solely through personal recommendations. Over the last five years, Futureful has grown to support dozens of nonprofits.
Today, Futureful raises over $4.3 million per year for Kansas City nonprofits. Writers Karen Willey and Tara Clevenger support grant writing efforts, and business manager Ellen Creed manages technology and processes. Read more about each below.
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Jaime Aguirre
FOUNDER & OWNER
Jaime Aguirre is the founder/owner of Futureful Consulting (formerly Aguirre Nonprofit Consulting). She has 20 years of nonprofit experience, including fundraising, administration, operations, and governance. She works primarily with small to mid-sized nonprofits, strengthening each client's organizational health to ensure long-term fiscal and programmatic sustainability. Jaime was recently appointed to serve on the Willow Springs Fire Department Board of Directors. In her free time, she is a student of the natural world and loves growing things on her small family farm.
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Ellen Creed
BUSINESS MANAGER
Ellen Creed joined Futureful in 2019 and has over 10 years of experience managing small businesses. Ellen offers consulting and bookkeeping services to local small businesses, nonprofits, and entrepreneurs with a focus on Kansas City’s creative sector. She holds a Bachelor of Art in Fine Art, with specializations in photography and studio art, and has extensive business management experience.
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Tara Clevenger
WRITER & RESEARCHER
Tara Clevenger has worked with several different Kansas City non-profit organizations for the past 15 years. She specializes in arts organizations and health and human services. While she loves writing a good grant, she especially loves researching funding opportunities and finding the perfect fit. A graduate of William Jewell College, she spends her free time raising a passel of boys and enjoying every minute of it.
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Karen Willey
WRITER
Karen Willey joined Futureful in early 2021 with over 25 years of nonprofit board experience. Additionally she currently serves as an elected Commissioner for Douglas County, Kansas. Karen holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Geography from the University of Kansas and a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies. Her new website, FarmTender.us, strives to open land access options for diverse and beginning farmers. Karen and her husband launched a successful forklift manufacturing business, Bluestem Machine Works, Inc., and sold it in 2015. As an experienced entrepreneur, Karen has navigated many of the challenges faced by growing nonprofits: learning to work with limited resources, leveraging partnerships, and managing growth. Karen is passionate about serving the organizations that serve our communities.
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Amber Thumann
GRANT WRITER
Amber Thumann is a sustainable systems educator, industrial engineer, and manager. She has 20 years of experience in people and project management and is an accomplished public speaker. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Industrial Engineering from the University of Arkansas and Pennsylvania State University, respectively. Amber currently lectures on sustainable agriculture and permaculture at the University of Kansas and Kansas State University.