Over the course of a fund-raising career that now spans over four decades and a wide range of philanthropic causes, Niles believes deeply in the centrality of your mission to your fund-raising success. Properly defined and articulated, a non-profit’s mission unites volunteers, donors, and staff in common cause to achieve and expand an organization’s work. Every fund-raising initiative, whether it is a request for an annual sustaining contribution, a request for a major, transformative gift, or the launch of a major campaign effort, begins with the question, “How does a donor’s support advance our mission?”
Niles Sorensen’s development career began in 1981 when he joined the staff of Ketchum, Inc., a national fund-raising consulting firm. Over the next fourteen years, he rose to become a Senior Vice President and member of the Executive Committee, responsible for the sales and supervision of the firm’s operations in the Southeast. In 1995, he joined the staff of the YMCA of Greater Charlotte – a two-time client of his – as the organization’s first full-time Vice President for Financial Development. Niles joined the staff of the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles as Executive Vice President for Financial Development in 1999, leading the fund-raising efforts for the twenty-eight branch, 100,000+ member Association. In 2006, he returned to Charlotte as UNC Charlotte’s Vice Chancellor for Development and Alumni Affairs and President of the University’s Foundation. Niles was named Vice Chancellor for University Advancement in 2010, adding University Communications, Constituent Relations, and University Events to his portfolio of responsibilities. Over his tenure at UNC Charlotte, the University realized more than $300,000,000 in gifts and commitments. The Charlotte Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals named him Outstanding Fundraising Executive in 2022.
Niles is a 1978 graduate of Indiana University and, as proof of his commitment to lifelong learning, after a forty-three year classroom hiatus, he earned his M.A. in History from UNC Charlotte in 2021. Niles and his wife, Doreen, live in Harrisburg, NC.