About

Hi, I’m Deidre.

I’ve spent over 15 years inside small, capacity-stretched organizations — raising funds, building strategy, and helping leaders turn big ideas into sustainable results. Having grown up in a small business and owning a few of my own along the way, I understand what it means to carry revenue, clients, marketing, and growth on your own shoulders.

Early in my career, I believed hustle was the path forward. I worked constantly. Work was my identity. Exhaustion felt normal.

Then I became a mother.

And I realized the pace I had normalized wasn’t sustainable — and the systems most businesses are modeled after weren’t built for women leading teams, running companies, raising families, and carrying the invisible load at the same time.

That shift clarified who I serve.

Today, I partner with women business owners who are ambitious and capable but stretched thin. Women who don’t need more pressure, or more hats to wear (please and thank you) — we need strategy that accounts for real capacity, real seasons, and real life.

Other firms build plans as if you exist only inside your business. I build strategy that honors the whole person behind it.

My approach is collaborative, practical, and grounded in reality.

My goal is simple: clarity, guardrails, and growth that fits your life — not growth that consumes it.

If you’re ready to build a business that supports your whole life, not competes with it, welcome — I’m glad you’re here.

Testimonies

  • "I had the pleasure of working with Deidre to establish a fundraising plan for C.O.P.E. Family Support Center. For many years our board lacked a blueprint for planning and managing accountability of fundraising roles and responsibilities. Deidre supported our board by offering clarification and guidance that highlighted past successes and focused us on future opportunities. We are a better team as a result of Kennelly Consulting, and we are continuing to grow with every event!"

    Natasha Paddock, Executive Director
    C.O.P.E. Family Suppor Center

  • “Deidre was a joy to work with on a recent fundraising training for Placer nonprofit organizations. She listened closely to what we wanted and delivered a session that was thought provoking and actionable for attendees.”

    -Eileen Speaker, Placer Community Foundation

  • “Deidre knows the in’s and outs of nonprofits and has a real instinct for everything related to organizational development. I’m so glad to see that she’s chosen to help agencies enhance their services on a larger scale by providing consulting services.”

    -Christi Cakiroglu, CC Consulting

  • “Deidre is extremely organized, capable, and fun to work with. She is creative in coming up with new ways to fundraise and spread the message of the organizations she works with. I had the pleasure of working with her on fundraising events and campaigns that all exceeded fundraising goals. I highly recommend working with Deidre!”

    -Camille Cauchois, previously Achieve Tahoe Progam Coordinator