Long before founding The Blueprint Collaborative, Gretchen got her start at her family’s fruit orchard, where she learned excellent communication skills and that making good pie crust is a fine art.  

Gretchen started fundraising as a college student at the University of Idaho. She has devoted her career to the nonprofit sector and believes nonprofits are vital economic drivers within communities.  Gretchen thrives in creating effective fundraising strategies because that is "where the rubber meets the road"—where philanthropy and community impact converge. 

Throughout her 30+ years of experience (but, who’s counting because it’s been so much fun!), Gretchen has helped nonprofits create, build, and implement comprehensive organizational and fundraising strategies to strengthen their effectiveness and enrich their impact. She was an integral part of a team that raised $22M to design, build, and open the Terry Lee Wells Nevada Discovery Museum; advocated for hungry neighbors as Chief Development and Marketing Officer at the Food Bank of Northern Nevada; and worked as the University of Nevada, Reno’s Director of Annual Giving. 

Gretchen is a connector and developer of people. Maximizing her relationships, utilizing her leadership skills, and tapping into her energy, she created The Blueprint Collaborative in 2015 – a robust, dynamic, collaborative entity that supports the important work of nonprofits, public entities, and corporations. 

When she isn’t connecting people and ideas, Gretchen enjoys cooking, spending time at home and on the road with her husband, Forrest and their (nearly) adult kids; and partnering with her sister Robin to operate that previously mentioned orchard homesteaded by their great-grandfather in the Snake River Canyon of Idaho.