Kelcie Parra is the Executive Director of Crisis House, a nonprofit organization with a 50-year legacy of serving individuals in crisis. Over her year and a half of leadership, Kelcie has already made a significant impact, steering Crisis House toward a stronger, more sustainable future.
Transforming Crisis House
When Kelcie joined Crisis House, she encountered an organization with incredible services but a heavy reliance on government funding due to a lack of fundraising history. Recognizing the risks of this dependency, she prioritized diversifying revenue streams and increasing community awareness of Crisis House’s services. Under her leadership, the organization has grown its programs, expanded its impact, and strengthened its visibility in the community.
“I pride myself on being able to take a macro view of an organization,” Kelcie shares. “I identify areas for efficiency, pain points, and opportunities for improvement, then develop solutions around those challenges. It’s incredibly rewarding to find ways to make an organization stronger and more impactful.”
Vision for the Future
Kelcie’s vision for Crisis House reflects her commitment to addressing the growing needs in housing and domestic violence. She envisions an expanded physical footprint for Crisis House that includes emergency beds, therapy, legal services, youth programs, and even a social enterprise to support clients while generating revenue to sustain the organization.
“We are stepping up to help more people in more impactful, holistic ways,” Kelcie explains. “As we continue to diversify revenue streams and grow our programs, Crisis House will be able to meet these needs on a greater scale.”
The CALO Experience
For Kelcie, CALO has been a transformative experience. She notes how CALO stands apart from other groups for nonprofit leaders by focusing not just on operational strategies but on the personal well-being of executives.
“CALO is helping to be a caretaker for the caretakers,” Kelcie reflects. “As nonprofit leaders, we’re often told to focus on caring for our organizations, but CALO shifts the focus to us as people. I arrive at CALO forums feeling distracted and frazzled, but I always leave feeling centered and focused. The forums help to turn down the peripheral noise so I can gain clarity. It's been a life-giving opportunity for me and has already helped me to be a more grounded leader.”
Kelcie Parra exemplifies the kind of visionary and compassionate leadership that drives meaningful change in the nonprofit world. Her work at Crisis House and her commitment to fostering her own growth through CALO’s forums reflect her dedication to making a lasting impact on both individuals in crisis and the community as a whole.
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