Name: Jessica McNeill
Title & Organization: Harvard Business School, Assistant Director, Reunion and LeadershipGiving
WID Role: Member
Hometown: Dorchester, MA
Lives Currently: Dorchester, MA
Education: BA Communication Studies, Bridgewater State University; MS Nonprofit Management, Northeastern University
Hobbies: I don’t know if I have many “hobbies,” but some of my interests are: traveling, astrology, watching documentaries, volunteering, and reading (although I used to be much better at this).

Effective leaders are always learning, thinking critically about what we do, why we do it, and how we can do better. No matter where you are in your leadership journey, these articles (and a podcast!) will give you something to think about, new ideas to consider, and tips for taking your leadership to the next level.

Congratulations to our member who recently changed positions:
Tiffany Reed, formerly Vice President, CCS Fundraising, now Vice President, Development, Tufts Medical Center
Welcome to our newest members:
Elise Ashley, The Possible Zone
Maryam Batts, GLAD
Sarah Broudy, LAPA Fundraising
Emerson Cazzani, Boston University
Anne Hager
Fatima Harvey, Freedom House, Inc
Wendi Huestis, Yen Jechow Philanthropic
Daniele Levine, Community Cooks
Andrea Miranda, The Possible Zone
Maggie Norcross Devin, Tufts University
Elizabeth Offen, Yachad/National Jewish Council for Disabilities
Jennifer Pitre, Catholic Medical Center
Julie Polumbo, Polumbo Solutions
Kalya Yannatos, The Putney School
Shambala Zellers, United South End Settlements

This April, we are highlighting Gift Planning. If you've wondered how to talk about or encourage your donors to consider tax-efficient ways to give or making gifts of assets, beyond cash or check, you're not alone! Especially now, as 2021 taxes are being filed, people are thinking about their financial and philanthropic goals for the year ahead, and beyond. Here are some helpful resources to help get you, your organization, and your donors thinking about planned gifts. 

Nicola Anderson, The Center for Arts in Natick (TCAN)
Linda Curry, Greater Worcester Community Foundation
Cristina Degaetano, Wellesley College
Lara DelGenio, Northwell Health
Marie-Josee Joubert, Mass Law Reform Institute
Liza McKinnon, Tufts University
Brianna Medas, Boston University
Susan Morin, Boston Symphony Orchestra
Kelsey Pandiani, My Brother's Keeper
Jamie Pimental, Bridge Over Troubled Waters
Stephanie Poggi, GrubStreet
Dianne Powers, RIZE Massachusetts
Caitlin Sawicki, Circle of Hope
Julia Vasquez, MSPCA-Angell

On Thursday, March 31, WIDGB attendees had the opportunity to learn about Middle Tier and Major Giving Pipeline Development through a presentation from Nanette Fridman, Founder of Fridman Strategies. Nanette has over 25 years of experience with nonprofits as a professional, lay leader, consultant, and coach, and partners with organizations of all sizes. As attendees introduced themselves in the chat, it was clear that fundraising employees of large, small, and mid-sized organizations were all present.

In honor of Women’s History Month, the articles below highlight the increasing impact that women donors have on the philanthropic landscape.  From in-depth research on gender giving tendencies, the generational differences of donors and the best ways to engage women with your nonprofit, these resources will provide development professionals with tangible tactics to engage their donors in a more strategic and thoughtful way.

On March 1, 2022, attendees from the WIDGB community had the opportunity to learn from three executives about how to best navigate your career in this new normal. All three panelists navigated a career shift during the pandemic. The panelists included: Nicole Dumas, Director of Advancement Talent, Boston College; Sarah Krasin, Executive Vice President, CCS Fundraising; and Molly Richter, Associate Director of Development, Talent Management, Massachusetts General Hospital. The moderator was Wendy Wilsker, Managing Partner, Boyden. The advice was aimed toward fundraising professionals at all levels of their career.

On February 2, 2022, Women In Development was thrilled to host a discussion featuring Kristen Robinson, COO of Fidelity Charitable, to share insight and trends in donor giving and donor advised funds (DAFs). Moderated by Giselle Ferro Puigbo, Executive Director of the Brookline Community Foundation, the session was well attended as participants were given information and strategies on how best to navigate DAFs and to utilize donor trends to help shape their fundraising strategies. 

Congratulations to our members who have recently changed positions:
Sarah Harrison formerly Development and Events Manager, Cambridge Center for Adult Education now Fund Officer for Volunteer and Class Management, Mount Holyoke College.
Emily Williams formerly Director, Office of Alumni & Family Engagement, Bentley University now Director, Alumni Engagement and Lifelong Career Development, Harvard Graduate School of Education 

Welcome to our newest members:
Rachel Adjemian Tetrault, Budburst LLC
Karen Brown, Celebrity Series of Boston
Carly Churchill, Cotting School
Natalia Crosby, J. Sherman Studio
Molly Deschenes, Providence College
Quinn Divens, Trustees
Ruth Edens, City Mission, Inc
Emily Fitzsimmons, The National Trust for Scotland Foundation USA
Jamie Grant, Genesys Works
Dana Grider, Boston Conservatory at Berklee
Karen Gromis, National Alliance on Mental Illness of MA (NAMI MA)
Sylvia Haber, No Empty Bedsides
Jessica Karevicius, Big Brothers Big Sisters Eastern MA
Krissie Kelleher, The Rivers School
Julie Lima, Saint Joseph Prep High School
Maureen Lister, Family ACCESS
Marne Perreault, Dartmouth and D-H Norris Cotton Cancer Center
Maddie Phadke, Anna Jacques Hospital, BILH
Jason Polasek, Judge Baker Children's Center
Ellen Rice, Archdiocese of Boston
Helen Rosenfeld, Massachusetts Science and Engineering Fair
Jessica Somol, The Cultural Alliance
Barrie Tysko, Youth Development Organization

Have you been working in nonprofits for many years, searching for the illusive work/life balance? You are not alone. The additional stress from the pandemic has felt like walking on a tightrope. Some folks are balancing parenthood and home responsibilities with work from home jobs, enduring lockdowns and homeschooling, all with the ever-present threat of catching an illness with unknown outcomes. As the empathetic individuals you usually find working for nonprofits, we also tend to take the stress of our mission home with us. Managing budget shortfalls and addressing low staffing  issues on nights and weekends has compounded our stress and anxiety over the past few years. The following articles have attempted to address these issues and help us ease into 2022 with tools to achieve the balance we seek.

Name:  Carmen Chan
Title & Organization: Director of Philanthropy, Just A Start
WID Role: Member
Hometown: Boston, MA (My home country is Hong Kong)
Lives Currently: Boston, MA
Education: BS in Journalism, Suffolk University
Hobbies: Lion dance (see me perform), arts, and outdoor activities, including hiking, biking and skiing.

Congratulations to our member who recently changed positions:
Marybeth Oskowski formerly Director of Annual and Leadership Giving, The Winsor School, now Senior Director of Development, Boston Latin School Association

Welcome to our newest members:
Katie Broach,  Hopkinton Center for the Arts
Arlene Bryer, Strategies for Youth
Caitlyn Burke, Brookline Community Foundation
Christina Capuzzi, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Kathleen Clute, Kathleen Clute Communications
Natalie Cote, Crossroads
Kristin Kilbourne O'Day, McLean Hospital
Darline Lalanne, New York Cares
Amy Lee, Middlesex Community College
Natalee Martin, Seacoast Science Center
Bridget Rodriguez, Harvard Graduate School of Design
Pamela Trempe, University of Southern Maine Foundation

As we head into 2022 our reading has been focused on growth, improvement, and hope for a brighter year. Whether your focus is individual giving or electronic communications, we hope you enjoy a tip or trick to help tighten your copywriting or enhance an upcoming campaign.

Name:  Kathleen McCarthy

Hobbies: Spending time with family & friends, reading, and walking

All who attended the WIDGB event on December 14, 2021, were really gifted a gift! What a professional honor, luggage of tips, and simply a treat in Donor Relations and Stewardship as discussed through the lens of diversity and embracing differences that awaited us!