Meet Our Savvy Leaders
Behind Savvy Strategies Consulting are leaders who have spent decades helping nonprofits grow, evolve, and achieve greater impact. We bring deep experience, practical insight, and a genuine passion for partnering with organizations and their people to turn challenges into opportunities and ideas into action.
Founder/Partner
Liz Adams
Liz Adams brings more than 22 years of executive nonprofit leadership experience, with deep expertise in fundraising, organizational growth, strategy, and leadership development. Throughout her career, she has built and transformed fundraising programs, developed new revenue models, and led strategies spanning individual and corporate giving, peer-to-peer fundraising, campaigns, and events.
Liz has held senior leadership roles with some of the nation’s most recognized nonprofit organizations, including serving as Chief Development Officer at the Alzheimer’s Association and Executive Vice President at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, where she helped lead the $1 billion Breakthrough MS Campaign. During 14 years with the American Heart Association, she led high-performing teams, developed growth strategies, and worked alongside markets nationwide to accelerate revenue and mission impact.
A strategist, facilitator, trainer, and coach, Liz has spent much of her career developing leaders and teams and helping organizations navigate growth and change.
Today, Liz advises nonprofits across sectors on strategy, content, fundraising, organizational effectiveness, and leadership—bringing an executive-level perspective and a practical approach to moving organizations forward.
Liz holds a Master’s degree in Higher Education and Counseling from the University of Denver, with an emphasis in individual and group counseling, and a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Utah State University. Her counseling and executive leadership experience also shape her approach to coaching and leadership development.
Partner
Anne Marie Forbes
Anne Marie is a seasoned nonprofit strategist and trusted advisor known for helping organizations turn ambitious vision into meaningful, measurable impact. With deep expertise in governance, strategic planning, fundraising, organizational change, and leadership engagement, she has helped local, regional, and national organizations navigate complexity, strengthen performance, and build the clarity and alignment needed to thrive.
Her experience includes leadership with mission-driven organizations such as the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Alzheimer’s Association, and Autism Speaks, where she led innovative initiatives that transformed fundraising and engagement strategies and built communities deeply invested in a cause. Through bold thinking, inspiring communication, and practical, actionable strategies, Anne Marie’s work has contributed to hundreds of millions of dollars raised to advance nonprofit missions.
Today, Anne Marie partners with nonprofits of all sizes to tackle their most important opportunities and challenges—from reimagining board leadership and setting strategic direction to strengthening fundraising and successfully navigating change. She is a Prosci Certified Change Practitioner and a BoardSource Certified Nonprofit Board Consultant, bringing both proven methodology and real-world experience to her work. A sought-after speaker and facilitator, Anne Marie is known for creating engaging, candid conversations that move leaders beyond ideas to decisions, action, and lasting results.