Name: Ryan Tollefson
Title & Organization: Development Director, Girls on the Run Greater Boston
WID Role: Member
Hometown: East Boston, MA
Lives Currently: Stoneham, MA
Education: B.A., Brandeis University
Hobbies: Baking, taking care of my backyard chickens, running, and keeping up with my 3 kids
WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST MEMBERS:
Lestra Atlas, Boston Medical Center
Raphaela Barros, Mabel Center for Immigrant Justice
Kristin Bedard, Concord Academy
Getenesh Belette, LeaderSpring Center
Jennifer Bohonak, UMASS Lowell
Lily Bond, Breaktime
Mariel Capulli, Saint Anselm College
Talia Carpinteri, Walnut Hill School for the Arts
Sue Chandler, Rosie's Place
Natalie Combs, YMCA of Greater Boston
Laurie Cormier, Tufts University Cummings School
Elisa Cortes, Just a Start
Nicole Cronin, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern MA
Alexandra Danton-Klein, Atrium School
Maria Duffy, Fresh Start Furniture Bank
Morgan Duquette, Walnut Hill School for the Arts
Julia Fink, Silent Spring Institute
Casey Frey, Global Smile Foundation
Melissa Gallin
Lauren Galván, National Scleroderma Foundation
Olivia Goodwin-Cook, Ellis Early Learning
Katie Gorczyca, Danny's Place
Hannah Beth Hembree, The Salem Pantry
Sasha Himeno-Price, Commonwealth School
Hannah Hines, Breaktime
Darlene Hollywood, Hollywood Agency
Daniella James, Oracle
Mallory Jones, Conservation Law Foundation
Renana Kehoe, Bellforge Arts Center
Lisa Kernan, Boston Public Library Fund
Leslie Landis, MIT Alumni Association
Alexia Layne-Loman, Museum of African American History, Boston & Nantucket
Endey Lonh, Breaktime United, Inc.
Bora Louis, HomeStart, Inc.
Amelia Luke, The Second Step
Kiara Lum, Tech Goes Home
Julia MacIsaac, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Kelly Marksbury
Heather Mather, Generation Research, Strategy and Branding
Marianne McDermott, The Caleb Group
Corinne McKeown
Sophia Monkman, Boston University
Darcy O'Connor, Tech Goes Home
Sophie Parker, Brigham and Women's Hospital
Christine Phillips, Friends of Aine Center for Grieving Children and Families
Nicole Pitre Ewing, CoGenerate
Hillary Repucci, Austin Preparatory School
Alexis Rodda, Harvard Business School
Gaia Roverato, Ellis Early Learning
Tina Sang, US Government
Julia Siegle, Commonwealth School
Stephen Tumolo, Heart-to-Heart
Lorrin Van Evra, Chica Project
Betsy Whipple, Simmons University
Stacy Wilbur, Fontbonne Academy
Mindy, Wogan, PAWS Project Foundation/GDRNE
Key Trends in Philanthropy for 2025 - Lisa Gregory
With 2025 well underway, the following articles and reports provide a snapshot of key trends in philanthropy for the coming year.
Name: Janet Lawn
Title & Organization: Chief Campaign Officer – Samaritans, Inc.
WID Role: Member since 1996
Hometown: Jamestown, NY
Lives Currently: Riverside, RI
Hobbies: Gardening and Photography
Women in Development of Greater Boston (WIDGB) is proud to announce our 2024 list of scholarship recipients. The 15 awardees were selected in September from a pool of very worthy candidates and hail from a variety of nonprofit organizations. We are grateful to Boyden for their sponsorship of this important program!
Thank you for your participation in our 2024 Community Survey. Our goal for this year’s survey was to understand the diversity and sense of belonging of the WID community (current members and non-members) so that we continue evolving into a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable organization.
Name: Marena Burnett
Title & Organization: Executive Director, Three Squares New England
WID Role: Member since 2024
Hometown: Worcester, MA
Lives Currently: Needham, MA
Education: BS Business Administration, University of RI
Hobbies: Hiking, skiing, kayaking, 3 little grandbabies!
Fundraising in an Election Year
The end of the calendar year is a busy and often chaotic time for development professionals. Adding a dynamic, contentious, and high-stakes presidential election only heightens the chaos and stress we may feel as we strive to hit year-end fundraising goals. Here are some resources to help you have a successful—and a little less-stressful—fundraising season this fall
Tapping into Peer-to-Peer Fundraising
For many nonprofits in the greater Boston area, fundraising for the Boston Marathon is in full swing. Last year alone, peer-to-peer fundraising for this historic event brought in $40.3 million to nonprofits in our area. But peer-to-peer (P2P) fundraising—where supporters ask friends and family to donate to a cause they are invested in—is a strategy nonprofits can utilize year-round. The following resources provide insights into P2P fundraising best practices.
Name: Heather Johnston
Title & Organization: Director of Development, Cambridge Health Alliance Foundation
WID Role: Marketing and Communications Committee
Hometown: Danvers, MA
Lives Currently: Beverly, MA
Education: BS in Business Administration, Southern New Hampshire University
Hobbies: Gardening, time on the beach, and spending time with my daughters, husband, and two dogs. However, what keeps me the busiest is being a hockey and softball mom and traveling to rinks and fields all over New England and the East Coast.
Name: Nicole Dumas
Title & Organization: Director of Advancement Talent, Boston College
WID Role: President
Hometown: Boston, MA
Education: Harvard Extension School, Boston College '25
Hobbies: Crossword and word search puzzles
November Pulse of Fundraising: AI and Fundraising
November kicks off one of the busiest times of year in development. As our never-ending to-do lists keep growing, there has been increased buzz around the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in our sector. Is there a place for ChatGPT in a world where relationships are king? Check out the following resources that explore AI in fundraising, the exciting areas for growth, and things of which to be wary. And for an even deeper dive into this topic, don’t forget to register for our December program, Unlocking the Potential: AI in Fundraising- Exploring Possibilities and Navigating Challenges.
Fundraising During Challenging Financial Times
Recession and inflation loom large over our work these days. How can we, as fundraisers and nonprofit leaders, prepare our organizations and our donors to weather economic challenges? These four articles offer insights, tips, and some much-needed reminders of the importance of our work, especially in uncertain economic times.
As development professionals, we’re no strangers to having challenging, sensitive conversations—with donors, organizational leaders, board members, co-workers, and others. The events of recent years have brought increased attention to a host of complex issues surrounding race and racism, inequality, reproductive rights, politics, and more. These articles offer useful tips on navigating conversations that veer into difficult topics.
More than 250 people gathered in-person for WID’s 2022 Fall Breakfast Kick-off held on Thursday, November 3, at the Westin Copley Place. Fundraising professionals from Boston and beyond caught up with peers across the industry and make new connections during a lively networking session before settling in for an engaging and insightful talk from guest speaker Dr. Makeeba McCreary, president of the New Commonwealth Racial Equity and Social Justice Fund (NCF).
At the WIDGB Annual Meeting Natanja Craig-Oquendo, Executive Director of the Boston Women’s Fund, shared stories of the times she “looked over the edge” in her personal and professional journey. For Natanja, looking over the edge means taking a risk, and those “over the edge” moments have been pivotal in her life and her career.
Women in Development of Greater Boston (WIDGB) is proud to announce their 2022 list of scholarship recipients. The six awardees were selected in September from a pool of very worthy candidates and hail from a variety of nonprofit organizations.
March is Women's History Month. As women in philanthropy, we are taking a moment to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of those in the field.
Expand your professional network and help your development colleagues hone and sharpen skills for an ever-evolving industry. Women in Development of Greater Boston (WIDGB) is currently seeking nominees and expressions of interest for open positions on the Board of Directors. Both self-nominations and nominations of colleagues are enthusiastically welcomed.
