Sarah Stickney Murphy is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, fundraising, strategic planning, and community-centric management. She has a proven track record of success, having raised over $50 million in revenue throughout her career. Sarah is deeply committed to fostering sustainable solutions, empowering communities, and catalyzing transformative change for long-term societal benefits.
Sarah holds a Bachelor of Music, Cum Laude, from Loyola University of New Orleans and is currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration from the same institution, with a capstone concentration in artificial intelligence and digital supply chain solutions for social impact organizations.
In 2009, Sarah founded Stickney Murphy Consulting, LLC, where she serves as the Principal Consultant. In this role, she envisions, implements, and manages community-centered management and fundraising initiatives rooted in equity and sustainability. Her strategic leadership has led to numerous successes, including a $5 million capital campaign for the Krewe of Redbeans’ community center and Black masking Indian museum, Beanlandia; the expansion of Kids in Tech’s geographic footprint throughout the Lowell Public School System; and leading Western Arts Alliance’s Market Development Cooperator Program in collaboration with the International Trade Administration to increase US market share of performing arts by $16.3 million via their Performing Arts Discovery Program in Medellin, Colombia; Victoria, Australia; and Berlin, Germany.
Before committing to her consulting firm full-time, Sarah held several leadership roles in development and fundraising. She served as the Associate Director of Development for The NOCCA Foundation, spearheaded an agile pilot program in the Leadership Annual Giving team at Tulane University, and directed the annual fund and reunions at Tulane University's A.B. Freeman School of Business. She also served as the Director of Development at Lycée Francais de la Nouvelle-Orleans and as Development Manager at Hearing Health Foundation. Throughout these roles, Sarah successfully raised over $25 million in cumulative fundraising.
Sarah is also an active participant in the nonprofit sector, serving as a guest lecturer at Tulane University and a Grants Review Panelist for Arts New Orleans. She is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Reentry Mediation Institute of Louisiana and previously served as a member of the Board of Trustees for the International School of Louisiana. She also served as the Chair of the Sylvain Society and Member at Large for the New Orleans Opera Association.
In addition to her professional accomplishments, Sarah is a certified Google Project Manager and AI Product Manager, and she holds a Google Analytics Individual Qualification. She is also a fellow of the New Orleans Charter Board Leadership Academy and a graduate of the CASE Summer Institute in Educational Fundraising at Dartmouth College.
Sarah's professional and technical skills, coupled with her commitment to social justice and anti-racism, make her a transformational leader in the nonprofit sector. She is dedicated to using her expertise to drive strategic initiatives that amplify the impact of social good organizations.
Sarah lives just outside of New Orleans, originally called Bulbancha, on land stolen from the Houma with her husband, five children, three cats, two turtles, and innumerable fish.