Author

Melissa Spas

Nonprofit leader

Melissa Spas is a nonprofit leader who specializes in religious leadership, organizational development, financial sustainability and pedagogy for practice. Previously she served as the vice president of religion at Chautauqua Institution and as the managing director of education and engagement for the Lake Institute on Faith & Giving, part of the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. She also worked at Indiana University’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs in Bloomington and at Leadership Education at Duke Divinity. She is a graduate of Allegheny College and Harvard Divinity School and is an active layperson in the United Methodist Church.

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Scholarships available for the Executive Certificate in Religious Fundraising 

Applications for the Thomas H. Lake Scholarship are now open! This scholarship supports participants in the Executive Certificate in Religious Fundraising (ECRF), a program designed to help religious leaders explore the spirituality of fundraising and gain skills essential for their work. 

Applications will be accepted until Monday, August 3, 2026. Applicants should expect to hear a decision by the end of August.

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