Vernis “Vee” Barrier

Passionate about fundraising for equity, justice and social change, Vee brings more than twenty years of a demonstrated track record creating effective resource development strategies and evaluating their effectiveness for the nonprofit sector. Serving in the newly created role of Development Director for the Kenwood Oakland Community Organization (KOCO), Vee provides oversight and direction in helping the organization’s overall fundraising goals and outcome-based systems to ensure the development of meaningful funding relationships with foundations, corporate giving programs, and individuals.

With decades of development and fundraising expertise beginning with United Way of Metropolitan Chicago, where she managed the agency’s individual giving program that yielded more than $1 million annually and the women’s leadership council of over 31professional women giving annual gifts of $10,000 or more. Serving as the development director, Vee also implemented successful data-driven fundraising strategies that helped: Faith in Place advance its commitment to helping faithful people care for our earth; Housing Opportunity& Maintenance for the Elderly secure grantee partnerships to help underserved seniors age in place with dignity; and Bethel New Life make disadvantaged westside Chicago communities more sustainable and equitable.

As a grant writing consultant for several small to mid-sized nonprofits, Vee attracted the funding relationships that enabled ChiS&E, a Chicago-based STEM initiative to be recognized as one of NOYCE’s foundation’s 15 STEM Ecosystems in the nation, and for the Network of Woodlawn to launch a state-of-the-arts Robotics Automation Training Program and Facility serving Black unemployed and underemployed jobseekers on the south side of Chicago. Additionally, Vee has facilitated first-time grant writing workshops at the Lutheran English District LCMS Midwest Conference.

A graduate from Wichita State University, Vee also has a MS in Human Services Administration from Spertus College in Chicago, and a Paralegal Certificate from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison NJ. Vee currently is serving as an elected member of the Steering Committee of the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition and as an appointed member of the Governor of Illinois’ Energy Workforce Advisory Council.