Our Team

Sarah Thornton Lewis

Principal Consultant

Sarah joined Sterling in 2018 after working in development and fundraising in the nonprofit sector in Washington D.C. and Houston.

She most recently served as an Associate Director of Trusts, Estates, and Gift Planning at MD Anderson Cancer Center. In this role, she managed a portfolio of donors across the country and raised more than $23 million for cancer research and patient programs.

Sarah has honed her skills in fundraising and nonprofit development over the past 13 years, building extensive experience in securing major gifts of $100K+ and maximizing donor contributions through planned giving. She is particularly known for developing detailed data analyses to inform client fundraising capacity, creating individual donor strategy, and identifying areas of opportunity to strengthen development success in the short and long term.

Sarah earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and in Hospitality and Tourism Management from the College of Charleston. She also earned a Certification in Charitable Financial Planning from Texas Tech University. When not at work, Sarah and her husband, Adam, enjoy exploring Houston’s parks with their twins and cheering on the Cincinnati Bengals.

Notable Projects

Congregation Emanu El

DePelchin Children’s Center

Friends of Pumpkin Park

Houston Area Women’s Center

MAM (Memorial Assistance Ministries)

Rice University

Get in
Touch

Sterling updates
and insights.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Let's link arms.

55 Waugh Drive, Suite 601 Houston, Texas 77007

P: 713.807.1411   F: 713.807.1658

P: 713.807.1411
F: 713.807.1658

Get Directions

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.