The Charities Review Council announces the election of Cynthia Campos and Kimberly Snyder to its Board of Directors.

“Cynthia and Kim are both strong additions to our board,” said Rich Cowles, executive director of the Charities Review Council. “Their respective skills and experience – Cynthia’s legal background and her work with immigrant-led nonprofits and Kim’s development experience and stature in the nonprofit sector -- make them welcome fits. Both have a passion for working with nonprofits and helping them grow and succeed.”

Kim Snyder started her board term in June, 2010. She is the founder and partner of Excelsior Bay Group, LLC a business which helps non-profit organizations build and assess their long-term fundraising capacity. Snyder has 15 years of fundraising experience within the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota philanthropic communities.

Prior to the Excelsior Bay Group, Snyder was the vice president of Children’s Foundation, the fundraising arm of Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota and served as director of development for the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs and Ridgewater College. A graduate of the University of Minnesota with a BA in history and a master’s degree in public policy from the Humphrey Institute, Snyder serves as a mentor at the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs. She has also contributed to boards and advisory committees for Minnesota Adoption Resource Network, People Incorporated, the Minnetonka Public Schools Foundation, the Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center and the Willmar Area Community Foundation.

Cynthia Campos began her board term in August. She currently serves as the manager of Wellstone Action’s new program, The Movement Building Project, which customizes training programs for partner organizations ranging from the Minnesota Civic Engagement Table, the Advocates for Human Rights and Amnesty International U.S.A.

Prior to her move to Minnesota, Campos worked as a coordinator of contract administration for the Professional Staff Congress in New York City and as a union organizer with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). A graduate of Carleton College and the University of Wisconsin Law School at Madison, Campos' legal training is in immigration, housing and public benefits law. She serves as a pro bono attorney with the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota and as a consultant and strategist for the Minnesota Voters for Animal Protection.

Existing members of the Charities Review Council board are Heidi Neff Christianson (Vice-Chair), Mike Ducar, Irene Fernando, Morris Goldwin Jr., Diane Hansen, Zainab Hassan, Daniel Johnson, Steve Joul (Chair), Audrey Kintzi, Cindy Kleven, Barbara Koch, Ramon Leon, Khanh Nguyen, Ph.D., Daniel A. Rodriguez (Secretary), Rick Scott, Michael Vinyon (Treasurer) and Ronald J. Zweber. About the Charities Review Council: The Charities Review Council’s mission is to mobilize informed donors and accountable nonprofits for the greater good. It is dedicated to empowering donors in making informed and thoughtful giving decisions, so that they can be more effective in helping charities advance their important community work.

For more information, visit the Charities Review Council online at www.smartgivers.org, or call (651) 224-7030 or toll-free 1-800-733-GIVE.