Samuel Nichols Email and Phone Number

Steward and grow strategic foundation partnerships to invest in GFN and its member food banks.

Cultivates and manages donor relationships with several philanthropic foundations, including prospects. Ensures quality communication with project management, finance, policy/advocacy, and technical functions to understand and document CRS' performance on foundation proposals and awards. Facilitates outstanding performance on awards through regular communication with program managers, technical advisors and donor staff.

Provided overall leadership and management of CRS programs and staff in Ukraine --Developed and managed relationships with more than 10 local partner organizations in Ukraine and across the region (managed partner relationships in Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan)--Led organizational capacity development initiatives with local partner organizations, including: strategy development, implementing staff performance management system, strengthening proposal development tools and processes, fraud identification and management policies, strengthening internal controls and segregation of duties across finance/admin departments, and developing systems to collect and respond to beneficiary feedback and complaints --Provided leadership and vision to the staff and programs, including development of 2-year emergency-response program strategy --Oversaw $3 million annual portfolio across emergency, livelihoods, and peacebuilding sectors --Publicly represented CRS with national and local governments, USAID, embassy staff, the United Nations, and with peer organizations

Managed two food security projects in Bamiyan Province incorporating programs to enhance staple crop production, homestead vegetable gardening, nutrition and food hygiene messaging, and community management of soil and water resources. --Financially managed a 1.8 million USD project funded by the European Union, and a 1.2 million USD project funded by New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade --Represented CRS in meetings and communications with partner organizations, Caritas New Zealand and Caritas Germany--Supervised seven staff, including 3 project officers and 4 technical advisors, and oversaw a team of 34 staff which implemented the two food security projects --Finalized more than 30 training modules and 3 technical manuals to support behavior-change methodology for agriculture, livestock, nutrition, and natural resource management behaviors--Prepared semi-annual narrative reports and quarterly financial reports and ensured adherence to indicator targets and budget

Oversaw all M&E efforts for CRS emergency response portfolio for Northern Syria and Southern Turkey, valued at ~$25 million and reaching 475,000 beneficiaries annually--Wrote and led development of successful $9.1 million OFDA proposal for distribution of NFIs in northern Syria-Served as MEAL lead for regional, five-country peacebuilding/psychosocial-support project: developed monitoring forms and M&E system for the project, and coordinated with IT department to develop cloud-based database and reporting solution --Monitored cash and voucher-based programming by conducting thorough market analysis and price monitoring to ensure program effectiveness while doing no harm to market actors --Managed CAFOD capacity-building project to provide key trainings to partner staff; managed budget and wrote narrative and financial reports--Directly supervised six MEAL staff: three project officers, database assistant, and two data entry staff--Managed process of developing a system to track all commodities being transported from Turkey to distribution sites in northern Syria--Led an external evaluator to assess CRS operations and logistics systems in Syria and provided recommendations to department heads on steps to improve processesWhile on temporary assignment supporting the 2014 flood response in Serbia and Bosnia:--Wrote and led development of successful $900,000 OFDA proposal for flood relief --Supported project design based on analysis of assessment data and coordination with local staff

--Wrote and led development of successful $400,000 cash-for-work proposal funded by Social Fund for Development, through the World Bank --Led recruitment process for long-term, high-value peacebuilding consultant and development of curriculum for two-year peacebuilding project which aimed to empower youth and religious leaders to build bridges between religious communities and social classes in Upper Egypt.

--Researched and provided editing for papers and reports related to transitional justice processes in an ongoing consultation with the African Union--Conducted field research in communities facing issues of xenophobic violence, collective violence, vigilante justice, and state repression--Developed interviews and surveys for monitoring and evaluating current peacebuilding initiatives

--Provided protective accompaniment for Palestinian children walking to school and for farmers and shepherds attempting to access their fields--Monitored treatment of Palestinians at Israeli military checkpoints and detention centers--Recorded data and identified trends about human rights abuses in the local vicinity--Prepared reports, press releases, and video and photo documentation for media outlets, consular officials, and local and international NGOs--Coordinated communications efforts for CPT, especially in social media communication mediums (Facebook, blogs, Twitter, YouTube etc.)--Prepared for delegations coming to Israel/Palestine: arranged logistics and connected delegates with local Israeli and Palestinian peacemakers

--Coordinated a program in which senior citizens worked one-on-one in classrooms with disadvantaged and disabled youth--Recruited volunteers through community presentations after developing recruitment plans--Designed and presented 20 hours of pre-service training for each volunteer specific to the special needs population they would be serving