02.25.2014. Grant Writing and Fund Raising. Cynthia Coleson, Director of Programs, Center for Nonprofit Excellence, has over 15 years of leadership experience in the nonprofit sector working for nonprofits in human services and healthcare. She has worked on building strong collaborations with more than 65 nonprofits to develop programs and initiatives to address community needs. Ms. Colson earned her BIS from the University of Virginia and an MBA from the University of Mary Washington. She enjoys reading nonfiction books, commuter cycling, and kayaking. Ms. Colson lives in Culpeper with her husband and three cats.