Check Out Jordyn Jefferson’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jordyn Jefferson.

Hi Jordyn, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’m a Navy brat who’s lived all over the country and even abroad. After getting my bachelor’s at Northwestern University, I moved to NYC where I started my career in nonprofit development. Since then, I’ve earned a master’s in Fundraising and Grantmaking from NYU and spent twelve years and counting fundraising for some incredible education and literature-focused organizations.

I moved to Denver in the middle of the pandemic (August 2020!) to fundraise to build the current home of Lighthouse Writers Workshop. Three years and a $5M campaign later, Denver now has a gorgeous home for the literary arts on York and 39th. Working on that building, alongside a truly fabulous team of creative professionals, is one of the great privileges of my life.

I had my daughter in 2023 and moved to another nonprofit, Reading Partners Colorado, in 2024. Unfortunately, Reading Partners closed their operations for the local office in spring 2025. While the layoff was unfortunate, particularly because I loved serving local students with some truly fantastic people, I’ve found some wonderful things moving forward.

First of all, I accepted a new role as Innovator and Director of Development and Marketing at 5280 High School, a DPS charter school serving students in recovery from substance abuse, self-harm, and co-occurring disorders. This is really exciting: It’s a brand-new role and I have the opportunity to build a department from scratch. It’s pretty much a dream, and I love being back to working in a school setting for the first time in five years.

I also started a consulting LLC, through which I’m offering fundraising guidance to select nonprofits doing wonderful work. I specialize in working with organizations that have small shops and need some help laying the groundwork for a strong development strategy. Right now, my clients include ColoREADo and Literacy Academy Collective, two nonprofits focused on solving the literacy crisis in our country. Both are new organizations with a lot of potential, and I get to work directly with the founders to ensure they can get the resources they need to fulfill their ambitious missions.

Going back to Lighthouse Writers Workshop for a second: The thing about Lighthouse is that whether or not you’re a writer when you start there, you’ll be a writer by the time you leave. About 4 years ago, I started taking Lighthouse classes and discovered a love for writing children’s picture books in particular. In my limited free time, I have developed myself as an author and I’m currently working with an illustrator to self-publish my first book in spring 2026. My stories focus on introducing mental health topics in a way that’s accessible for both caregivers and children.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Honestly, the biggest challenge is that there’s never enough time or money to invest in the many things our world needs. There are so many projects I want to take on, so many more organizations I want to invest a lot of time in, and so many stories I want to write and share with the world.

The trope of women “having it all” is overplayed beyond belief, but there’s good reason behind that. It’s hard to balance caring for my daughter, pets, and partner; maintaining my physical and mental health; taking on as many of the cool professional projects that come my way as possible; and pursuing my creative endeavors. Sometimes, it’s all just too much! I’m fortunate to have the world’s most supportive husband. He really understands my passions and desire to do good in the world, and often picks up the slack for me.

Mental health in general has been an obstacle throughout my life as well. I was diagnosed with ADHD during graduate school; I’ve also managed depression and anxiety since childhood. There have been some dark periods in my life, and sometimes they take me by surprise. I’ve found that working to find balance and making time for creativity and rest are critical, as is therapy and (for me) the right medications. It’s different for everyone!

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I do a little bit of everything!

First and foremost though, I am a fundraising professional, currently serving as the Innovator of Development and Marketing at 5280 High School. I have over twelve years of experience and recently branched out to provide consultant services as well. So I now also run my own business, Jordyn Jefferson Consulting, LLC.

And I’m a children’s book author! I’m proud of myself for finding the time to explore a creative endeavor completely unrelated to my career. It can be hard, but so rewarding.

How do you think about happiness?
A lot of things bring my happiness: I’m fortunate that often, it’s my work! But also: time with my daughter, canning jams and pickling things, eating good food, playing board games at a local brewery, exploring an independent bookstore, taking my dog to Cherry Creek State Dog Park. But as a true introvert, very little beats a nice nap followed by drinking tea and cross stitching while watching some cheesy reality TV.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jordynjefferson.com
• Instagram: @jordynblue
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordynbjefferson/

Image Credits
All images except for the Pen & Podium one should be credited to Morrow Manor Photography