Our Team

Kara launched her professional career and her passion for fundraising in academia as the Assistant Director of the Annual Fund at DePauw University in 1996 – during the time the institution was in a midst of a major capital campaign. Continuing her enthusiasm for philanthropy, Kara worked at United of Way of Central Indiana as the Senior Campaign Manager. There, she worked with over 150 businesses to help increase participation in their annual employee campaigns. Known for building and maintaining strategic partnerships, she successfully increased annual contributions significantly. After her tenure at United Way, Kara worked as the Corporate Events Director for the American Heart Association.

From 2003-2009, Kara worked as the Director of Special Projects for Indiana Black Expo, Inc. Her responsibilities included managing multiple budgets totally more than four million dollars annually as well as serving as the agency’s lead ambassador and community advocate for its special initiatives. At one time, Kara was responsible for several grant programs including the Indiana Tobacco Prevention and Cessation program and the US Housing and Urban Development lead outreach project, cultural competency workshops with the Arc of Indiana, and the US Attorney’s Project Safe Neighborhood Campaign.

Upon relocating to North Carolina in 2010, Kara served as the Senior Program Manager for the National African American Tobacco Prevention Network in Durham, NC. She organized and coordinated all the activities including fundraising, outreach, policy, and advocacy efforts to address the tobacco disparities in the Black community.

Known for her high quality, engaging presentations, Kara has successfully worked with diverse audiences. After leaving NAATPN, she served as a Quality Management and Training Director for the Family Care Networking – an agency that worked with individuals and families dealing with substance abuse addiction and mental illness.  In addition, she worked as an Educator and Project Developer for the Family Resource Center of Raleigh Project P.U.L.S.E. program.

Since 2010, Kara has conducted many workshops with subjects covering cultural competency, media advocacy, coalition building, community outreach, and strategic planning.  She has worked with several states in the Northeast, Southeast, Central and Mid-Atlantic regions as well as various organizations and federal agencies including the Substance Abuse Mental Health Service Administration, the Minnesota Institute of Public Health, the Education Development Center, the Urban Minority Alcohol and Drug Abuse Outreach Program, and the Center for Application of Prevention Technologies.

In March 2017, Kara returned to academia and began her tenure at NCCU as the Director of Annual Giving. There, she achieved record breaking fundraising goals in the University’s history. During NCCU’s annual Day of Giving, she increased dollars and participation in 2019, 2020, 2021. In March 2021, Kara was promoted to the Director of Corporate and Strategic Partnerships.

She briefly worked the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media as its first Senior Director of Philanthropy.

In August 2022, she joined The Rep Project team as the Senior Director of Development. In her fundraising consultation role, Endsley has been tapped by such prestigious organizations including the Boys and Girls Club of Durham and Orange Counties, WakeUP Wake County, Indiana Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Agency, National African American Tobacco Education Network (NAATEN), former NFL player Damon Rhodes’ charity, Rhodes to Success, and most recently, ResilNC and Winston-Salem State University.

Kara continued her consultative work as a specialist in program manager with various organizations including the Health Education Council (CA); the Campaign to Prevent Smoke-Free Pregnancies (IN); Illinois African American Coalition for Prevention (IL).

Her passion for service and her unparalleled commitment to the underserved populations, it only seems fitting that Kara is dedicated to increasing the capacity, awareness, and overall growth of non-profit, community organizations.

She is a graduate of DePauw University (Greencastle, IN), where she received a BA in Political Science. In addition, she earned a Master of Science degree in Organizational Leadership from Oakland City University (Oakland City, IN). Most recently in May 2022, she earned a certificate in Fundraising Leadership for the Lilly School of Philanthropy (Indianapolis, IN).

Kara is active in her community. She has been a dedicated member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Sorority for 33 years, she volunteers at Dress for Success and her church, Baptist Grove. She resides in Morrisville, NC with her husband, Houston Vines.