Mike Buckley, CFRE
Managing Partner & Fundraising Team Lead
A career fundraiser, Michael J. Buckley, CFRE is a non-profit consultant, coach, and speaker whose work focuses on small and medium-sized non-profit organizations. As the Founder and Managing Partner of The Killoe Group, Mike's extensive experience includes annual campaign audits and management, capital campaign leadership, feasibility studies, interim and ad-hoc program leadership, board governance, strategic planning, and capacity building. Mike is an effective and sought-after national level speaker on topics including actionable fundraising data, major donor identification, and strategic planning.
Prior to founding The Killoe Group, Mike spent nearly two decades in various leadership fundraising roles in both higher education and animal welfare. Mike has been an invited speaker at the National Association for Animal Welfare Advancement, the Northeast Annual Giving Conference, Mid-South Philanthropy Conference and the Hudson Mohawk Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, of which he currently serves as Past President and Treasurer. Mike also serves as Secretary for the Board of Trustees for the Saratoga Independent School.
As a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), Mike has met a series of standards set by CFRE International which include tenure in the profession, education, and demonstrated fundraising achievement for not-for-profit organizations. CFRE’s also pass a rigorous written examination testing the knowledge, skills, and abilities required of a fundraising executive, and have agreed to uphold CFRE Accountability Standards, the Donor Bill of Rights and the International Statement of Ethical Principles in Fundraising.
In 2019, Mike was recognized as the Consultant of the Year by NeonOne, an international technology company focused on non-profit organizations. Mike is a proud member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and The Rensselaer County (NY) Regional Chamber of Commerce.
A native of Long Island, NY Mike resides in Guilderland, NY with his wife Alison O’Brien Buckley.
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Paul McAvoy
Of Counsel | Marketing & Communications Team Lead
Paul McAvoy is a writer, strategist, and marketer with over 15 years of experience working in non-profit development and communications. His expertise in public relations, fundraising communications, and non-profit marketing gives him a unique insight into the tactics that get results for small and medium-sized organizations. From appeal letters to newsletters, press releases to executive communications, Paul can focus your organization’s most compelling stories to connect with your donors and the public.
He has worked on multiple capital campaigns and knows the intersection of fundraising and great storytelling. Paul’s professional career includes leadership positions in both for-profit and nonprofit spaces. His nonprofit work includes positions in both human services and higher education. Paul’s array of experiences includes annual appeal campaigns and direct mail copywriting, annual reports, grant writing and editing, press releases and media relations, media placements and awareness and marketing Campaigns.
Paul’s ability to gather background information, interview our clients, craft a compelling story and position that story to ensure revenue have made him a sought-after consultant. His work has been featured in The Albany Times- Union, The New Hampshire Union Leader, The Evangelist, Parable Magazine, and The Long Island Catholic, among others.
Paul lives in Delmar, NY with his wife and children and currently serves as a Member of the Albany (NY) Diocesan School Board.
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Katie Apple
EDUCATION COORDINATOR
A musician, educator and problem solver, Katie Apple brings nearly two decades of higher education, arts administration, and environmental education experience to her role with The Killoe Group. With a keen sense for the unique needs of nonprofits, Katie served as a practitioner in various non-profit roles including fundraising, member services, database management, and event planning.
Given her education background, Katie thrives with developing processes and procedures and has a unique ability to provide custom staff training resources. She has worked on the development of new systems aimed at enhancing and adding value to member experience while also streamlining internal operations for staff.
Katie understands fundraising in both small and large organizations and the challenges and opportunities in both settings. She has served as a director of development, planning and managing all fundraising efforts for a small arts organization, and has also served on a successful major gifts team for a large public university.
A teacher at heart, Katie started her career at Syracuse University’s Setnor School of Music as the youngest and first female faculty member in the Music Industry Department. She has also taught the principles of music business development to aspiring record producers and audio engineers at The Recording Conservatory of Austin in Austin, Texas.
Katie lives on a small farm with her husband and two children.
Amanda Irwin
OPERATIONS MANAGER
With over seven years of nonprofit experience, Amanda is committed to helping organizations best serve their communities with programming that is sustainable and effective. Having spent time in Buffalo, NY as an AmeriCorps VISTA and then as the Administrative Coordinator for Music is Art, Amanda gained expertise in daily nonprofit leadership, facility management, and community engagement. In 2018, Amanda returned to her home base within the Capital Region taking on various roles at the Albany Symphony and settling in as the Annual Fund & Grants Manager. Currently serving as the Deputy Director of the Hart Cluett Museum, she oversees operations including overall development and membership processes, special events and projects. Amanda’s work with The Killoe Group intersects her previous experience with her passion for meeting clients where they are at, finding solutions and providing the support for strategic growth.