About
Strategy rooted in story. Expertise built over 25 years.
Every mission-driven organization I have ever worked with carries the same tension: the world as it is, and the world as it should be.
I was born to live in that tension.
It is where my faith lives. It is where my work lives. And it is where I believe the most important things happen — in the space between what exists and what is possible, when the right people, the right resources, and the right stories come together.
Candela exists to help organizations resource that work, tell that story, and invite others to be part of closing the gap.
The Name
My maiden name is Gloria Lucia Luna. My grandmother was Gloria. My great-grandmother was Lucia — which means light. And Luna, of course, is moon. Moonlight runs in my family.
I named this firm Candela because that is what I believe strategy should do: illuminate what is already there. The mission, the stories, the relationships, the generosity — it is all there. My job is to help you see it clearly, and help others see it too.
The Work
I have spent more than 25 years in nonprofit development — building development shops from scratch, managing major gifts portfolios, running annual campaigns, migrating databases, and sitting across from donors whose generosity changed everything.
I have worked with faith-based organizations, campus ministries, human services agencies, and community-based nonprofits. I am bilingual in English and Spanish and have deep experience serving Latino communities and Catholic organizations across Florida.
I do this work because I believe in it — not because it is a job. Every organization I partner with has a mission I would give my own time and treasure to support. That is not a marketing line. It is how I choose my clients.
Credentials & Expertise
- Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE)
- Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP®) — in progress, The American College of Financial Services
- Raiser's Edge NXT / Blackbaud · Constant Contact · AI-integrated development workflows
Specialty Areas
Philosophy
“Communications and development are inseparable. The story you tell is the gift you invite.”
I have never believed that development and communications are separate functions. The email that moves someone to give and the appeal that falls flat are not different in strategy — they are different in story. Candela exists to help organizations align those two things so that every touch builds a relationship and every relationship moves toward generosity.
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