With over 15 years’ experience, Marni has led cross-functional development teams in the strategic planning and tactical execution of educational design research to inform the development of K-12 curriculum programs. Marni’s extensive experience in qualitative and quantitative methodologies enables her to execute highly customized and comprehensive research plans that are formative and summative in nature. She is driven by a passion to improve the lives of children through learning, particularly disadvantaged children. Marni holds a B. A. in Sociology from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Hinton Consulting was created by Niki Hinton, who directed the fundraising efforts at several well-known non-profits including the National Park Foundation, Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Youth Leadership Institute. In these development director roles, Niki wrote corporate, individual and foundation fundraising plans, raised new funding through bringing in major gifts as large as six figures, wrote multi-millions of dollars of funded grants, trained boards on how to fundraise, provided stewardship strategies to retain and grow current donors and leveraged social media as a powerful fundraising tool.
Niki also spent many years in marketing and public relations, helping organizations communicate clearly and to the right audience. Her undergraduate degree is in public relations with a focus in marketing, and her graduate degree is in public administration with a concentration in non-profit executive leadership. She earned both degrees with honors from Drake University.
Niki is a recipient of the Greater Des Moines' 40 Under 40 Award for outstanding professional, charitable and civic achievement, and has served as a board member for Young Professionals Connection, West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce, the 21st Century Forum and the Waukee Advisory Board. She has volunteered as a teacher's assistant at City College of San Francisco teaching Women's Studies, is on the executive committee of Women Get It Done, and on the advisory board of California Common Sense.