Career Highlights
YMCA of the USA
Stewardship Manager, February 2013 - present
Strategic Initiatives Fund
o Serve in high profile role as Stewardship Manager for Y-USA’s Strategic Initiatives Fund (SIF), which manages the relationship with the Y’s largest anonymous donor. This donor has granted Y-USA $69 million from 2010 to 2017. Work with SIF’s Senior Director to ensure donor is updated monthly, organize quarterly webinars to highlight specific grant recipients, organize site visits for donor staff and trustees, personally conduct site visits to monitor grant progress, monitor budgets and progress toward all grant deliverables, manage and write all grant reports.
o Manage process to award sub-grants to local Ys through donor funding. In 2016, this included 13 different grant opportunities totaling nearly $7.7 million. Collaborate with teams to develop Request for Applications, scoring rubrics and site selection process.
o Participate in theory of change development process and SIF learning agenda to ensure donor funds are used in accordance with donor wishes. Conducted a study of Y-USA’s scaling processes in 2014 as part of SIF’s learning agenda.
o Lead a portfolio of internal departments to develop proposals for future funding. Anticipated goal of $23 million for 2018.
General Stewardship
o Prior to working solely with ARCT, managed a portfolio that included JPB Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Sam’s Club Giving Program, Noyce Foundation and Annie E. Casey Foundation.
o Conducted a stewardship and donor relations audit to determine how Y-USA performs against industry best practices. Presented and implemented several opportunities to update acknowledgement, reporting, recognition and engagement strategies to be more donor-focused. Highlights include a quarterly “insiders” webcast series, donor recognition videos and an internal award to promote the culture of philanthropy among all departments at the Y.
o Facilitate opportunities to increase the local Y capacity to conduct stewardship and donor relations programs, including creating a best practices assessment tool, hosting Y Stewardship Week, and developing and presenting content via webinar, training materials and conference presentations.
Loyola University Health System
Director, Communications and Donor Engagement, February 2006 - February 2013
Donor Communications
o Served as liaison and project manager with Health System marketing department to create development communications collateral including key messages, case materials, brochures, event materials, proposals, press releases, web content and videos as LUHS prepared for and launched $250 million comprehensive campaign.
o Managed donor publications, including Vision, a quarterly donor newsletter with an audience of 3,000 and budget of $4,000 per issue.
o Launched Family of Philanthropy donor story series, featured on web site and on-campus flat screens.
Donor Relations
o Developed and managed donor relations program, focused on supporting the stewardship efforts of major gift officers, communicating impact to donors, recognizing contributions and developing innovative acknowledgement techniques.
o Managed portfolio of more than 100 endowment reports for Health System, medical school and nursing school.
o Led revision and launch of annual giving society and initial launch of lifetime giving society. Enhancements included yearly impact reports, donor wall, recognition pins and honor rolls. Managed campus recognition program, including named spaces and plaque policies and standards.
Special Events
o Led team of two that coordinated more than approximately 70 events each fiscal year, including the hospital gala, which annually raised $300,000 and the medical school gala, which raised more than $900,000. Key new events launched included a spring benefit for the hospital featuring a national speaker ($140,000 raised) and the hospital’s first 5K race ($100,00 raised)
Alumni Relations
o Led team of one and personally managed alumni relations program for four months during search for associate director and for 12 months during transition for Health System and university. Recruited new alumni board members, reorganized the nursing school board, launched several new programs and planned reunion weekend for the medical school.
Elks National Foundation
Programs and Development Manager, December 1998 - February 2006
Programs & Development Manager—4/1/01-2/06
Promoted to manager and assumed management, strategy and evaluation responsibilities. Retained communications duties as well. Continued to manage programs until a Program Manager was hired. Highlights include:
o Supervised two Development team members; trained staff; evaluated job performance; conducted two successful job searches.
o Designed orientation program for new Board members. Served as member of strategic planning team; served as project manager for program evaluation team; organized annual evaluation of an ENF-funded program selected by trustees.
o Despite a membership decline between 1 to 3 percent, increased donations by 30 percent. Raised $5 million consistently each year. Managed development plan, which included acquisition, retention, reactivation, planned giving, volunteer training and e-philanthropy. Evaluated success of development projects using performance analysis.
Programs & Development Coordinator—4/1/99-3/31/01
Promoted to Coordinator and developed first formal development plan for membership fundraising, retaining communications duties as well. Highlights include:
o Served as member of team who developed strategy and budget for annual development plan.
o Specific projects included communications, donor stewardship, major donor solicitation and recognition, receipts/acknowledgements, direct mail appeals, and planned giving.
o Oversaw five scholarship programs, including 1,500 recipients yearly, totaling $3.2 million. Managed budget, conducted annual program reviews, designed and evaluated applications. Managed Lodge grant program that included 250 recipients and disbursements of $50,000.
Communications Coordinator—12/98-3/31/99
Developed first formal annual communications plan for development office, including a donor newsletter, in-house e-mail update, promotional materials, annual report, website and monthly articles for The Elks Magazine. The communications plan was the first step toward building more informed relationships with donors prior to launching a formal development plan.