Sekou Coleman

I help mission-driven teams in Western North Carolina turn vision into momentum. With more than 30 years across nonprofit leadership, community organizing, and creative placemaking, I partner with organizations to align values with structure, strengthen people and systems, and communicate impact with clarity. I am a graduate of WNC Nonprofit Pathways’ Nonprofit Leadership program, and I bring a grounded regional lens shaped by years of work with neighborhood coalitions, youth programs, cultural institutions, and funders.

My work centers on four services that many small and mid-sized nonprofits need most. Leadership development: I design and facilitate retreats and learning plans, coach executives and emerging leaders, clarify roles and decision-making, and cultivate cultures that are equitable, accountable, and resilient. Grant management: I help teams build a sustainable pipeline and steady cadence, from prospecting and alignment to proposal writing, calendars, budgets, compliance, reporting, and cross-team workflows. Project management: I install practical tools and rhythms that keep complex efforts moving, including scopes of work, milestones, dashboards, meeting structures, and feedback loops that lift risks early and support on-time delivery. Communications and storytelling: I help organizations shape a clear message and voice, map audiences and channels, build content plans, and translate programs and data into human stories that mobilize donors, partners, and community. When helpful, I also introduce accessible technology, including AI, in ways that fit capacity and keep the human touch at the center.

My approach is relational and capacity building. I listen first, reflect what I hear, and co-create right-sized steps so progress is practical and durable. Whether you are leveling up your leadership bench, building a reliable grants engine, coordinating a multi-partner project, or telling your story with greater power, I will walk with you from intention to action with structure, care, and accountability. If your organization is ready to grow, realign, or communicate its impact with confidence, I would love to connect.