"Anyone can be a volunteer, so be creative and ensure you are connecting with as many volunteers as possible." - Nibal Awad, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships                                                                                                                                On May 9, 2023, more than 40 WIDGB members gathered at the first in-person Lunch-and-Learn since February 2020! The event featured an excellent panel discussion featuring Nibal Awad, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships & Donor Impact at Positive Tracks, Carly Churchill, Associate Director of Advancement at Cotting School, and Ginny Fuller Marinaro, Senior Director of Development at Brigham & Women's Hospital.

Mental Health Awareness in Fundraising
In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, May’s Pulse of Fundraising highlights articles that discuss burnout in our profession and provide some strategies to address it. Make sure to take some time to check in with yourself this month and reach out if you need help: https://namimass.org/resources/. 

 

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.

"The way to prepare for a successful future—whether you know what it is or not—is to keep acquiring skills, so you are ready when luck, opportunity, or clarity about your future strikes.” ­­­— Anne T. Melvin, JD, principal of Dynamic Fundraising Training                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          On Thursday, March 30, an impressive group of development professionals gathered virtually to share their expertise during the Symbiotic Relationship Between Frontline Fundraisers and Development Operation Roles. The program kicked off with a keynote by Anne T. Melvin, JD, principal of Dynamic Fundraising Training, and was followed by a panel discussion moderated by senior talent acquisition consultant Maureen Pena. Panelists included fundraising and communications consultant Johane Alexis-Phanor of Beyond Wordz; Emily Donohue, senior director of prospect management and research at UMass Boston; Rosie Martel-Foley, vice president of development strategies and governance at United Way; and Sarah Robinson, executive director of advancement at the Van Wezel Foundation.

 

“In order for a planned giving initiative to be sustainable, it has to be integrated into an organization's culture." 

                  - Arlene Schiff, Senior Advisor, Life & Legacy

 

 

On February 7th at 12 noon, Women In Development of Greater Boston hosted Lori Kranczer; Founder and CEO, Link Elevating Philanthropy; Jill Ng; Director, Planned Giving, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; and Arlene Schiff; Senior Advisor, Life & Legacy for an informative discussion about planned giving trends this year, how to steward your planned giving donors and ways to approach the conversation with donors of all ages.

 

Name: Patricia Gil-Casares
Title & Organization: Director of Learning, Engagement & Inclusion at Boston University
WID Role: Member since 2017
Hometown: Madrid (Spain)
Lives Currently: Newton, MA
Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology at Universidad Pontificia de Comillas (Madrid). I am also a certified coach by International Coaching Federation (ICF) and Gallup Strengths Certified Coach.
Hobbies: Travel (to new places and -as much as I can- to Spain), hiking, biking, enjoying nature, and playing sports with my two sons. Overall, spending time with my family and friends; it’s what makes me feel fulfilled and recharges me the most.

Navigating Difficult Conversations

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. 

Name: Melany Duval, Chief Philanthropy Officer
Organization: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute & The Jimmy Fund
Hometown: Suburbs of Los Angeles
Lives Currently: Chestnut Hill/Newton
Education: Loyola Marymount University
Hobbies: Photography, swimming, yoga, hiking, and travel

 

Early EOY Giving Results

As we kick off the new year, fundraisers around the country are reviewing their end of year results and evaluating where there was success – and where there are opportunities for growth.  Data shows that most nonprofits, although seeing a slight increase in revenue, are noticing a drop in donor retention.  These articles delve deeper into this idea of “dollars up, donors down” and encourage nonprofits to consider how to innovate in order to retain – or win back – their donor base.

 

Name: Patricia D. Keenan
Title & Organization: Vice President of Advancement, Community and Equity, Ellis Early Learning
WID Role: Current WID Member, former WID Board member
Hometown: Bridgewater, Massachusetts
Lives Currently: Sharon, Massachusetts  
Education: BA in Urban Studies from the College of the Holy Cross
Hobbies: Sharing movies and books with family and friends, spending time with our grandchild, walking in the woods, traveling anywhere and everywhere
 

Name: Alison LeBlanc
Title & Organization: Executive Director, Child Health Equity Center, UMass Memorial Health
WID Role: Member, Board of Directors; Co-Chair, DEI Committee
Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts
Lives Currently: Boston, Massachusetts  
Education: BA in Sociology and English from Wesleyan University; MS in Communications from SI Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University
Hobbies: Kayaking and hanging with my dog, Dash

How much of an impact will inflation make on nonprofits this year?
As we look to end-of-year giving as a critically important time for philanthropic gifts, nonprofits everywhere are gauging how inflation will impact the bottom line. Although only time will tell whether the current state of the economy will translate to fewer donations raised, organizations and their leaders are looking at clues from the past to help understand what to expect when they close out this calendar year. Each of these articles gives different perspectives, insights and suggestions on how best to navigate the remaining few weeks of 2022. 

“The only constant in life is change.” This adage feels truer now than ever­—particularly in the professional world, where our work lives are largely unrecognizable from just three years ago, and movements like the Great Resignation and Quiet Quitting dominate headlines.

Name: Raeann Whalen
Title & Organization: Chief Operating Officer (previously Director of Development) | Housing Families Inc. in Malden, MA
WID Role: Programs Committee Member
Hometown: San Jose, CA
Lives Currently: Burlington, MA
Education: BS Business Administration – Providence College in Providence, RI (GO FRIARS!)
Hobbies/Interests: Enjoying quality time with family and friends by cooking and hosting gatherings.

 

Year-End Fundraising Strategies: Are you, like many other development professionals, wondering why it is hard to meet your forecasted targets? With the exponential rise of costs in goods, services and travel, does it leave our benevolent donors with less to give? As we inch closer to fall, here are some fundamentals for year-end appeal story-telling and the importance of developing deeper relationships with donors through volunteerism. 

Name:  Caitlyn Burke, CFRE
Title & Organization: Associate Director of Donor Engagement, Brookline Community Foundation
WID Role: Member
Hometown:  Shrewsbury, MA
Lives Currently: Quincy, MA
Education: BA History and English- Saint Michael’s College, MBA in Nonprofit Management- Heller School of Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University, Certificate in Social Impact Management and Leadership-Institute for Nonprofit Practice, in affiliation with Tufts University’s Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life
Hobbies: Running, reading, traveling, knitting

Ensuring that your nonprofit has a robust donor relations program is paramount for overall engagement of your donor base and increased support at your organization.  With so many competing priorities of a fundraiser’s time, stewardship can often be furthest from our minds. However, these articles will help you find ways to carve out time, demonstrate impact and provide helpful suggestions on how donor relations can be incorporated in all that you do.

 

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.