What they say.

“Ellen is an extraordinary partner. She is a brilliant strategist, refreshingly direct, relentlessly goal-driven, and committed to excellence. One of the best things about Ellen is that she is highly selective about who she works with – she partners with organizations that she truly believes in, and when she commits, she is “all in” for her clients. She transformed our development department and ongoing fund development plan, continuing to leave an enduring mark on the success of our organization.”

“Ellen was the lead force for our multi-phased Capital Campaign. Her insight to the donor community was invaluable. Even more important was her ability to manage our broad-based Board of Directors during the fundraising process. I personally learned significantly from Ellen what it means to be a good board member and a good steward of our board resources.”

“Ellen is a not-for-profit rainmaker. Over the years, I have always known Ellen to be smart, unique and passionate, but saw this from close range when I worked with her on the A.D Players theater campaign, a project that most never thought would be built. She was the first to arrive and the last to leave. Ellen is an influencer and Ellen simply gets it done for her clients, no matter what the obstacles. She consistently finds realistic, yet creative solutions to potential deal killing problems. She has the requisite experience, trustworthy contacts, intuitive insight, and the innate ability to listen intently and empathize deeply with the client. I always felt like our project was the only one she was working on and made time day or night to understand our needs, design our master strategy, and ultimately execute our plan. Houston is a better place because of her.”

“Ellen Cokinos is one of those people that when you meet her, you know you have met a force of nature. And, I am delighted that she uses her talents and energy on behalf of the most vulnerable people in our society.”

“It’s rare to come across standout talent like Ellen. I’ve the pleasure of working with her for twenty years, collaborating on a variety of projects. Ellen not only exceeds goals and expectations, but makes a dramatic difference in the productivity of the team and the end results. Ellen earns my highest recommendation.”

“I have known Ellen for over two decades; she is the whole package and continues to amaze me with her brilliance, strength, optimism, strong work ethic and belief in what is right to better this world. Any nonprofit or donor is fortunate to work with her.”

“Under Ellen’s direction, Houston’s Children’s Assessment Center — her brainchild — set the standard for child-friendly intervention systems for sexually abused children. Her impact has reached well beyond the thousands of children and families CAC has directly served. She is a tremendous advocate.”

“Ellen always goes above and beyond for whatever she endeavors. She is intelligent, effective and takes on challenges with grace and professionalism.”

“Ellen brings an enormous amount of energy, creativity, and integrity among other fine qualities to the table. She is well connected, well received by many foundations, and well respected by her peers. The end results are always positively overwhelming!”

“Ellen Cokinos is smart, perceptive and incredibly creative. She is especially talented and fearless when it comes to building strategic relationships and taking organizations to the next level.”