When you reach out to The Detwiler Group, we find the right experts for your project. First we listen. Then together we determine the skills and expertise you need, whether it’s helping your board envision the future, raise the funds for a new building, or develop an administrative environment that aligns with your mission, and helps you create the world you believe is possible. Each of our experts are independent contractors who are ready to bring their skills and experience to your project. Their range of experience is broad. Some come from the for-profit world, others have experience in nonprofit and government management. Some are known for their fundraising skills, others are experienced in writing and reviewing grant proposals. Each of our experts shares the conviction that nonprofit organizations are community benefit organizations. All of our work is based on the premise that everything we do affects our community. This shared conviction and our breadth of experience allows us to learn from each other, opening us up to new ways of looking at our clients and community’s needs. With eyes and ears wide open, we listen to you and consider how we can best approach the project at hand.

A seasoned consultant, Susan Detwiler specializes in working with nonprofit boards and administration. She is a catalyst for individuals who want to align governance and planning with the values and mission of themselves and their organization. As a Creating the Future™ Fellow, Susan provides tangible results by inspiring and educating board leaders and executives, guiding them in building strategic plans grounded in the future yet practical enough to do more than sit on the shelf. This work is a natural progression from her 25 years in for-profit marketing, and 5 years as head of a nonprofit agency.

Prior to joining the nonprofit sector, Susan worked in the medical device industry and was Founder and President of a successful international health information firm serving Fortune 500 companies, earning the citation of a Top 100 Resource from American Demographics magazine. In 2002 she closed her firm to become Executive Director of the Kristol Center for Jewish Life (Hillel) Foundation at University of Delaware. There, she successfully inspired her board and staff, increasing student participation, community financial support, and University collaboration. She turned to nonprofit consulting in 2007.

Guiding the Hillel and Kellman Brown Academy (NJ) through their first accreditations, Susan used the process to strengthen the partnership between the boards and senior management in service to the mission. She regularly facilitates retreats and strategic planning for diverse organizations including Delaware Theatre Company, Gershman Y (Philadelphia), Delaware Arts Alliance, Music School of Delaware, Urban Seeds (Philadelphia), Park East Synagogue (NYC) and Rehoboth Beach Film Society.

Susan has been active as a lay leader in each community in which she has lived, and is currently faculty and part of the curriculum development team for Creating the Future [CreatingtheFuture.org]. She is a past Grants Chair and currently serves on the Governance Committee of Delaware Fund for Women. She serves in several capacities for Congregation Beth Emeth (Delaware), and is a member of Association of Fundraising Professionals, Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement and BoardSource.

Susan earned her BS in Business Administration from State University of New York at Albany, and MBA in Policy and Control from University of Michigan.