About Jenny Niklaus
Jennifer Niklaus is a transformative leader with three decades of experience in the Bay Area's nonprofit sector, known for tackling complex social challenges with innovation and determination.
Some herstory ...
Jennifer Niklaus is a transformative leader with three decades of experience in the nonprofit sector, known for tackling complex social challenges with innovation and determination. Her career began in direct service and crisis intervention at Community Solutions, working with women and children survivors of violence. Through leadership roles at the YWCA and the Support Network for Battered Women, she pioneered crisis response programs serving 1,000+ clients annually while managing large teams, operational systems, and budgets.
As her impact grew, Jenny expanded her focus to poverty and homelessness, serving as Interim Executive Director at Sacred Heart Community Service and Director of Senior Community Services at Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County, where she orchestrated operations serving more than 5,000 vulnerable seniors annually.
As CEO of HomeFirst, she led the $13M organization through critical transformation, increasing government funding from multiple sources, expanding staff from 70 to 90+, and improving permanent housing placement rates by 40%.
Current Adventures in Leadership
Currently, Jenny serves as Principal Facilitator and Chief Facilitation Officer at ALF Insights, a division of American Leadership Forum Silicon Valley. She guides C-Suite executives and organizations through complex transformations, leading impact groups focused on race equity and philanthropy. She has created and facilitated 15 affinity groups engaging over 300 regional leaders and developed a DEI framework adopted by 25+ nonprofit CEOs, generating over $2M in community investment for participating organizations. She also provides one-on-one executive leadership coaching to participants of the Senior Fellowship program (regional leaders in Silicon Valley committed to serving the common good).
As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT #35491) and certified yoga instructor, Jenny brings a holistic approach to advising and consulting. Her impact has been recognized through awards including the Woman of Influence Award from the Silicon Valley Business Journal and the Facing the Challenge Award from the African American Community Service Agency. She has served as Chair of the Santa Clara County Child Abuse Council and Vice Chair of the Santa Clara Social Services Commission, and her work has been highlighted by Stanford Social Innovation Review.