Rachel Smith
Associate
Tel: 931.580.5887
Email: rachel@constellationadvancement.com
Specialist Expertise
- Campaign planning and management
- Major gift strategy
- Planned giving
- Interim/fractional development leadership
Rachel is an experienced nonprofit leader and trusted fundraising strategist dedicated to helping mission-driven organizations build deeper relationships with donors and drive greater impact in the communities they serve. A strategic thought partner and skilled connector, Rachel works alongside executive teams and boards to design tailored development plans that lead to transformational gifts, long-term donor commitment, and increased philanthropic revenue.
With more than two decades of experience in non-profit development, Rachel brings cross-sector experience in healthcare, education, and global development. She has deep experience in leadership gifts and planned giving, building strategic development plans and coaching high-performing teams, and has worked extensively across Africa. Her approach combines high-level strategy with practical execution – often stepping in to lead campaigns, coach teams, and build development infrastructure that’s aligned with an organization’s vision and capacity.
Prior to launching her consulting practice, Rachel held senior development roles with organizations such as Teach For America, where she led the strategy to secure a $100 million investment and launched the organization’s first planned giving program, and the United Nations Foundation, where she led fundraising for the global Nothing But Nets malaria campaign. She most recently served as Assistant Director of Strategic Partnerships at Texas Children’s Hospital’s Global HOPE program, leading a $100 million campaign to expand pediatric cancer care across sub-Saharan Africa through partnerships with individual philanthropists, global foundations and corporations, and results-based financing models.
Her current and recent clients include Christel House International, where she is managing a $45 million global expansion campaign; the Robert A. Winn Awards for Excellence in Clinical Trials, where she is leading campaign strategy and execution; and both McColl Center and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Carolinas, where she provides interim development leadership and strategic counsel.
Rachel holds a B.A. from Davidson College, and her work has been published in The Lancet Oncology and in research on change management.
