Cooper Coleman LLC

Firm Overview

Cooper Coleman is a full-service recruiting firm partnering exclusively with nonprofit organizations, social enterprises, foundations, and research and academic institutions to drive meaningful growth. Our team of seasoned nonprofit leaders proudly serves missions and organizations of all sizes across the nation, ensuring the nonprofit sector experiences the highest caliber of executive search support often available only to the largest organizations. With extensive backgrounds in both corporate and nonprofit retained search, as well as in-house development and executive leadership, we leverage a cadre of search consultants, organizational development experts, fundraisers and campaign strategists, communications and marketing professionals, and designers to provide unwavering support to your organization. We aim to be the partner to which other firms aspire.

Off-Limits Policy

24 Months

Average Time to Completion on Assignment

16 Weeks

Recently Completed Assignments

News Briefings

Cooper Coleman Recruits CEO for Family Equality

Following a nationwide search, Chicago-based Cooper Coleman LLC has recruited Darra Gordon as the new CEO of Family Equality in New York City. The search was led by Johnny Cooper, founder and CEO of Cooper Coleman. "Darra’s decades of leadership in the LGBTQ+ movement is an achievement, itself,” said Mr. Cooper. “Her ability to drive strategic growth, build...

Cooper Coleman Recruits Chief Philanthropy Officer for East Coast Zoological Foundation

Following a nationwide search, Chicago-based Cooper Coleman LLC has placed Robyn Ducharme as the chief philanthropy officer of East Coast Zoological Foundation (ECZF). The search was led by Johnny Cooper, founder and CEO of Cooper Coleman. "Robyn’s track record of scaling development programs and leading high-performing teams makes her the perfect fit to help ECZF achieve its...

The Strategic Benefits of Using Retained Search Firms for Non-Profit Leadership Recruitment

In the wake of the 2024 election, the dynamic landscape for non-profit organizations has shifted, making the need to secure and retain top-tier leadership more crucial than ever. Recruiters tell Hunt Scanlon Media that strong, effective leadership is now key to driving mission success and ensuring long-term organizational sustainability in an increasingly complex environment. A...

Cooper Coleman Seeking COO and Chief Philanthropy Officer for the East Coast Zoological Foundation

Chicago-based Cooper Coleman LLC has been retained by the East Coast Zoological Foundation (ECZF) to lead searches for the organization’s first chief operating officer and their next chief philanthropy officer. This strategic expansion is integral to ECZF’s continued impact on conservation and community engagement, encompassing Brevard Zoo and the new Aquarium campus in Port Canaveral. “ECZF is a...

Cooper Coleman Recruits Chief Development Officer for Rainforest Flow

Virtually every industry needs top-drawer chief development officers. CDOs play a key role in planning, coordinating, and administering capital campaigns, corporate giving, and galvanizing new donors while keeping previous funders content. Implementing funding strategies that “keep the lights on,” according to recruiters specializing in the function, is Job No. 1. Following an extensive national search,...

Cooper Coleman Expands Search Staff

Chicago-based Cooper Coleman LLC has expanded with the additions of Ben Bisbee and J. Michael Durnil as directors of executive search. “These new appointments come at a time of significant expansion for Cooper Coleman, reinforcing the firm’s commitment to driving meaningful growth and impact for non-profit organizations,” the search firm said. “Driven by their core values of...