Our Team

Since 1995, Linda B. Haley, CFRE, President & CEO, has successfully raised more than $200 million for various non-profits of all sizes, including religious, social services, educational, and healthcare organizations.

Linda has a breadth of “in the trenches” development experience that makes her an invaluable resource to organizations of all sizes. She’s worked at small, mid-sized, and large charities, leading development initiatives to incredible successes along the way.

Realizing a long-time dream, Linda started Let’s Build Hope, LLC, in 2013, where she now guides nonprofit agencies by teaching, coaching, and mentoring development teams, senior staff, and Board members. She has also developed – and teaches – a week-long Annual Fund Training Camp to educate fundraisers and volunteers about the intricacies of successful fund development and the need for a true culture of philanthropy. Linda is a strategist and a creative thinker – her ability to see development efforts in a linear way and to understand both problem and solution make her an invaluable resource to nonprofits.

Linda was named the 2016 Outstanding Fundraising Executive by the St. Louis Regional Chapter of AFP (Association of Fundraising Professionals). She has been a CFRE since 2001 and serves in various volunteer capacities with non-profits in St. Louis; she is especially passionate about mental health. She speaks both locally and nationally about fund development and is a vocal advocate for nonprofits who seek to change the fabric of the communities in which they serve.

Since 1997, Dawn M.S. Miller, CFRE, Senior Vice President, has raised millions for international programs, capital expenditures, social services, disaster relief efforts, annual funds, scholarships, special gift campaigns, and endowments. She has assisted organizations in 31 states and the District of Columbia with their fundraising efforts, also supporting clients in Canada, Haiti, Mexico, and in Rome.

As a consultant, Dawn has extensive experience in designing and managing annual fund programs using mission and metrics to drive towards a goal; restructuring development operations so the right people are in the right seats; managing major gift initiatives; assisting in strategic planning/growth for complex organizations; educating Boards and Councils; and integrating marketing and communications with fundraising. She has raised more than $150 million with 200+ nonprofit organizations.

Dawn is a LBH training camp educator, as well as a featured speaker and frequent contributor to local, national, and international nonprofit conferences, publications, websites, social media outlets, and blogs. She is former chair of the AFP Advanced Professionals Committee for the St. Louis region and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications with an emphasis in Communication Theory and Rhetoric from the University of Missouri—St. Louis. Dawn loves podcasts and movies, outdoor music festivals/concerts, theater, supporting local restaurants/small businesses, and spending time with her family and two dogs.

Beth Jantz, Vice President of Grants for Growth, is a nonprofit leader with more than a decade of experience working with social service organizations. Her expertise includes grants development, annual fundraising, strategic planning, and program design and evaluation. Her background in both fund development and program leadership uniquely suits her to communicate with diverse stakeholders and develop strategic solutions.

Before coming to Let’s Build Hope, Beth served as a senior program director at a $15 million organization, where she helped facilitate the transformation of the organization through new programming initiatives, diversification of revenue, a new development strategy, and a strengthened leadership structure. Beth successfully designed and launched a social enterprise restaurant and a state-of-the-art adaptive fitness facility. Before that, Beth raised more than $3 million in grant funding, significantly expanding the organization’s grants program. Beth serves on the Board of Directors of the Grant Professionals Association St. Louis Chapter and The FAM (Fair Access to Mortgages), a nonprofit organization that provides counseling and down payment assistance for families that have been affected by systemic racism.

Originally from Dallas, Beth moved to St. Louis to earn her Bachelor’s Degree in African and African-American Studies and English Literature from Washington University. Since then, she has spent her career embedded in the St. Louis nonprofit community. In her free time, Beth enjoys reading, traveling, and exploring the city’s many festivals.

A consummate professional and exceptional fundraiser, Yvette LeGear Hartsfield, MA, CFRE, CAP, Vice President of Campaigns, has worked in the St. Louis nonprofit arena for 30 years, successfully building and growing development programs for a variety of nonprofit organizations.

During her career, Yvette has led development efforts for agencies including the American Youth Foundation, DePaul Hospital Foundation, General Protestant Children’s Home, Lutheran Family and Children’s Services of Missouri Foundation, Gilda’s Club St. Louis and Operation Brightside. She has raised millions in the community throughout her tenure.

In recent years, Yvette has worked as Chief Development Officer for St. Andrew’s Charitable Foundation increasing contributions by 73% since 2011, raising annually more than $1.3m, and preparing the organization for its first endowment campaign. Yvette joins LBH most recently from her leadership role as the Managing Director of Development for the Missouri Historical Society, where she led a team that raised more than $4 million annually and providing leadership on an ongoing capital campaign.

Yvette obtained her CFRE credential in 1999 and has maintained it for decades. In 2017, she achieved her credential of Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP) from the American College of Financial Services and her Masters in Philanthropic Studies from Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. In 2019, she was chosen for the Focus Leadership St. Louis program. She has served three terms as a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals Board of Directors and has also volunteered with numerous nonprofit agencies, including the St. Louis Planned Giving Council, Haven of Grace, and ALDE. Yvette was named the 2024 Outstanding Fundraising Executive by the St. Louis Regional Chapter of AFP. She has a special passion for young professionals serving nonprofits and is one of the founders of Launch St. Louis serving as a founding board member for several years.

In her free time, Yvette enjoys reading, gardening, creating, and traveling. A current lifegoal is to travel the world.

Michael L. Sorth, Vice President of Business Capacity Services, has worked to strengthen business and community through the growth and development of transformational organizations. Mike has worked in government, financial services, and the nonprofit sector. The common thread through his career has been a commitment to sound financial management, strong teams, and effective business operating systems.

Mike’s relationship-driven, results-based approach was developed as an investment banker and nonprofit leader. He has secured nearly $1,000,000,000 in funding for community assets and social impact projects and led the reorganization of operations for three large community organizations. Mike brings this management and operations experience to each client he serves.

Mike is a St. Louis Business Journal 40 under 40 recipient, alumni of the Focus St. Louis 2015 class of Leadership St. Louis, and has held multiple securities licenses. In his spare time Mike is an avid motorcyclist, paddle boarder, and patron of St. Louis arts organizations. Mike and his wife, Kristen, live in South St. Louis with their three Standard Poodles where they enjoy all the perks of empty nesting.

Senior Consultant Diane Bauhof, CFRE, brings more than 25 years of experience fundraising in the nonprofit sector to Let’s Build Hope. Her interest in nonprofit management and community building inspires her to help build stronger, more impactful nonprofits.

Diane’s work at zoos and an aquarium exemplify her interest in and passion for animals and wildlife/habitat conservation. At the Saint Louis Zoo, through major gifts and sponsorships Diane raised an average of $2.5 million each year. Overall, she impacted over $30 million in gifts during her 13 years at the Zoo.

Most recently, she led the development of a new nonprofit, the St. Louis Aquarium Foundation, creating its fundraising programs, donor cultivation strategies, board of directors, committees, events, budget, strategic planning, and mission programming. Diane brings experience both from large organizations that impact the quality of life for their respective communities as well as small, newer organizations that need policies and systems implemented to serve their clients and missions most effectively.

Diane is also personally committed to serving others through her work as a Board member of the Trinity University St. Louis Alumni Organization and her previous Board membership with the St. Louis Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. In her spare time, Diane enjoys hanging out with her spouse, daughter, adorable dog Pepper.

Since earning a Ph.D. in English in 2015, Dr. Eliza Sanders, Grants for Growth Consultant, has transformed her expertise in research, writing, and persuasive argument into winning critical grants for nonprofit institutions both large and small.

Eliza spent five years on staff at complex educational institutions – the Field Museum in Chicago and the University of Missouri-St. Louis – crafting successful five- and six-figure proposals that supported projects including a new nursing simulation lab, biology and ecological conservation research, post-secondary education for students with cognitive disabilities, preservation of art and artifacts, support for student veterans, and more. As an independent grants consultant, Eliza worked with smaller, local organizations, during which time 80% of her proposals were funded, and more than a third of the grants she secured were from funders new to her clients.  

Eliza holds a B.A. from St. Olaf College and a doctorate from the University of Iowa. Her book Genres of Doubt: Fantasy, Science Fiction, and the Victorian Crisis of Faith was published in 2017.

In her free time, Eliza loves reading, playing the piano, cooking, and exploring St. Louis with her husband and young daughter.

Amy Weinbaum, MPA, is an impact-driven leader dedicated to fostering sustainable community transformation and advancing inclusive economic opportunity.

She brings over ten years of expertise in grant writing, program management, strategic partnership development, capacity building, and organizational development. Her career spans a diverse range of sectors, including non-profit, for-profit, corporate, international, state, and federal government environments.

Most recently, Amy served as a Performance Analyst with the State of Colorado’s Department of Human Services. In her previous roles with Mile High United Way, International Organization for Migration, and Management Systems International based at the Department of State, Amy wrote several successful grant proposals, participated on grant review panels, and managed, monitored, and evaluated programs and grants for vulnerable populations.

While living in Denver Amy served on the board of The Civic Canopy and was a member of The Denver Foundation’s Advisory Council for Community Impact (ACCI). Amy enjoys the outdoors, live music, reading, traveling, baking, and movies. She returned to her hometown in St. Louis and is thrilled to be working with the LBH team as a Grants for Growth Consultant.

Dr. Sandra G. Ehrlich, CFRE, Specialty Consultant, is a management, leadership, and fund development consultant with more than 35 years of increasing responsibility in the private and public sector. A dedicated nonprofit advocate, Sandra acts as a catalyst for nonprofit excellence by increasing effectiveness and efficiency in organizational development, fund development, marketing communications, media relations, and strategic planning.

A Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), Sandra has successfully raised more than $50+ million for national nonprofits. She has received two national fundraising awards, and has presented at national fund development conferences, webinars, and workshops. A transformational nonprofit leader, she is the President of the AFP Alaska Chapter, Board President of the Friends of Talkeetna Library, and the CFRE Ambassador for Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. For her vital contributions and exemplary leadership in the nonprofit sector, she received the coveted Outstanding Professional in Philanthropy award from the AFP Alaska Chapter in 2018.

An Associate Professor of Management & Marketing, Sandra is the Director of Graduate Business Programs for the College of Business and Public Policy at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Sandra received the University of Alaska Faculty Development Award in 2016. She also received the Teacher of the Year Award from the UAA College of Business & Public Policy in 2013-2014.

Sandra’s academic background includes a Doctorate in Management and Leadership, Webster University; M.S. in Integrated Marketing, Northwestern University; and a B.S. in Journalism, University of Missouri-Columbia.