People in Fundraising: A Nonprofit Podcast by Tim Wilson

Tara McMullen-King

Today's episode is timed for Halloween this Thursday in the U.S., and here to talk about that festively spirited day - and her passion for it, as well as her career - is Tara McMullen-King! Tara and I served on the NEDRA board of directors and knew each other through the Harvard University prospect development world. It was delightful to catch up with her. And it's an honor to spotlight Tara's career!
The 2022 recipient of NEDRA's Ann Castle Award for outstanding achievement in development research, Tara discusses:
* Confronting and working through self-doubt in her career, and relatedly, the importance of being gracious and kind to others, and to yourself.
* Channeling creativity and passion through Tara's work as an officiant at client-tailored weddings through her company, The Wedding Witch of Salem, and as a practicing Wiccan.
* What led Tara to join The Helen Brown Group - the opportunity to work with a wide variety of organizations being among the main reasons.
* The importance of re-generation as a professional and a person, and Tara's reflections on this quote from "Yellowjackets" actor Juliette Lewis: "What you learn through time is, you have the ability to re-generate, if you put your heart and mind to it. You have to apply discipline, and get out of your own way."
Thank you Tara for a deeply interesting and warm conversation. I know many in our audience will find value and insight in your remarks. "Blessed be" to you as Samhain approaches on the evening of October 31st and into November 1st!

People in Fundraising, ep. 111: Aashika Patel, Managing Director, CCS

Today’s guest Aashika Patel joins “People in Fundraising” to talk about her fundraising career, the wide range of clients and causes she engages with through CCS, and – with Diwali, the upcoming Hindu New Year – how her faith and Eastern philosophy are “the birthplace of the theory of knowledge and my contextual understanding of the world.” 
Community, kindness, and compassion are some of the consistent themes in this very insightful and fascinating conversation!
I first met Aashika at the CASE District VII and District VIII Conference in Anaheim in March 2024, where she presented a terrific case on “Campaign Readiness: Building and Aligning the Team.”
Aashika discusses:
* Her entrée into the world of philanthropy, at age 16 in Florida, where her local Hindu community raised funds to build a temple. “To see it evolve” from meeting in peoples’ houses “as you are evolving as a person, into a physical manifestation of a place to worship and a place to be together in community, you really see the power of people, and the power of uniting around an idea of what the world can look like if people contribute, and if people think about the greater good.”
* Her 13-year tenure at CCS, which was her first role in fundraising “starting out with a lot of humility and making mistakes” as any does at the beginning of their career
* How her work is best described as “fundraising solutions work” that helps clients “encountering roadblocks” between where they would like their philanthropic capacity to be, and where they are right now.”
* With her background in philosophy, Aashika rhetorically asks, “What is the journey of life if we are not encountering things we don’t know?” and how this shows up in our work. Our conversation features a lot of dialogue about fears, the high stakes in fundraising, and how if one is unable to identify their fears, this prohibits one from working around and working through them – “how are we pushing ourselves past what we think we know?”
* Aashika concludes by reflecting on this topic: “How can I as a better human being be of greater service to those I work with in my professional life and those I seek to love in my personal life.”
Thank you Aashika for a deep and thought-provoking interview! I am so pleased to share your reflections with our audience. Shubh Diwali!

People in Fundraising, ep. 110: Dan Saftig

It's an honor for me to have interviewed today's guest, Dan Saftig. He is a veteran fundraiser and fundraising consultant, a pioneer in earning a Master's degree in nonprofit administration in 1989, and someone who has worked in development across the U.S.
In his current role as a consultant, Dan is "Campaigns 'R Us," helping about 15 public and private universities that are in campaigns, closing campaigns, or planning for their next campaign. I know Dan through my tenure at Weber State University.
Look for Dan's fascinating anecdotes and insights:
At the 10-minute mark, Dan describes a fundraising campaign he led for the Vatican to raise money for "The Pope Scope."
At the 13-minute mark, discusses fundraising trends that concern him (a lot more competition; fewer unrestricted donors; decrease in number of overall donors; how less than 50% of U.S. households donate to nonprofits), as well as ones that give him encouragement for our industry’s future (moving from transactional to relational donor engagement; building a healthy environment that encourages fundraisers to stay much more than the typical 18-month tenures).
At the 32-minute mark, what Dan looks for in top fundraisers – curiosity and emotional intelligence lead the way. He cites and holds up several books that explore these topics, including David Brooks' "How to Know a Person," published in October 2023, and a few titles from team/leadership management practitioner Patrick Lencioni.
Dan also shares his thoughts on the need for outstanding stewardship; the importance of gift compliance officers; and why the most successful shops are laser-focused on leadership gifts.
Thank you Dan for a deeply interesting and very enjoyable conversation! I am sure many in the "People in Fundraising" audience will also enjoy your interview.

People in Fundraising, ep. 109: Erica Marken, Development Director, Utah Clean Energy

Welcoming my former managers as guests on "People in Fundraising" is a goal of my podcast, and today I am pleased to feature the first guest in that series: Erica Marken hired me to my current role at Weber State University in summer 2021. It was great reconnecting with her!
She is now the inaugural Development Director fundraising for Utah Clean Energy, an environmental nonprofit in a state facing several climate and energy crises, such as air quality, the receding Great Salt Lake, access to water in a high-desert state with rapid population growth the last 10+ years.
Erica discusses:
* Utah Clean Energy's four main objectives: transitioning to renewable energy; reducing emissions from dwellings; climate change leadership; and clean/electric transit - and how her role raises funds for these sectors
* Where Erica's passion for environmental and animal rights advocacy originates, and why these issues are close to her professionally and personally
* Resilience and finding value in being open about realizing when an organization is not the right "fit" for a fundraising professional. Erica mentions the uncomfortableness that can accompany this experience, yet she also shares how being transparent about this step with others enables people who have had (or are having) similar experiences to connect and boost each other.
Thank you Erica for a very interesting, candid, and enjoyable conversation! While not covered in our conversation, thank you also for your role in shaping prospect development's Utah chapter of Apra International in its earliest days and iterations.

People in Fundraising, ep. 108: Virginia Commonwealth University's Misa Lobato

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15th - October 15th), I am pleased to share this fascinating "People in Fundraising" interview with Milagro "Misa" Lobato! She works with a prior guest, Rachel Brandell-Mayers, at Virginia Commonwealth University. A longtime prospect development leader and Apra volunteer, Misa shares her thoughts on an array of topics, including:
* How Misa is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month
* Her reaction, with personal and professional anecdotes, to Elizabeth Colon's (president, Chicago chapter, National Association of Women Business Owners) quote: "Don't let fear stop you from achieving what you want."
* Her "relationship to achievement," as Misa termed this prevalent sentiment where many workers feel that much of their identity is defined by work terms (director, etc.) and a dizzying drive for continued progress and success.
* Misa's role in launching Apra International's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee, now the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, Justice, and Access Committee.
* Misa's real-life health crisis, which prompted a re-assessment of her goals and how she works. I also share about my health crisis from 2013, and Misa and I have a deep conversation about what these significant challenges meant for how we wanted to live, work, be grateful, and make more deliberate decisions.
Thank you Misa for a wide-ranging, riveting, and really enjoyable conversation! I appreciate your candidness, and know that your authenticity will resonate with our audience.

People in Fundraising, ep. 107: Brooke Gledhill Wood of The Policy Project

My friend Brooke Gledhill Wood joins "People in Fundraising" with an interesting new perspective to share. Brooke discusses the public-private partnership model in social impact/nonprofit work through Utah-based The Policy Project.
Three of its major recent initiatives are The Period Project (for access to period products in schools, workplaces, and public spaces), the Teen Center Project (to repurpose under-utilized spaces in public high schools for food pantries, laundry services, showers, and community resources), and The Safe Child Project (to expand child sexual abuse prevention education).
As Brooke describes, this public-private partnership model to address specific and long-standing issues in society "is a real sign of commitment and investment from the community and the private sector, and private donors see their donations impact every corner of the state," especially when the state legislature works in tandem to allocate even more funding.
Brooke and I first met in 2013 in greater Boston, where she was serving as a mission for our church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. At the beginning of our conversation, you'll see us in a still photo from 2015. It was wonderful to reconnect with you, Brooke! Thank you for a very enlightening and fun conversation!

People in Fundraising, ep. 106: Roger Allred, organ donation advocate

Roger Allred, who is the father and father-in-law of my friends Alicia and Scott Buchanan, joins "People in Fundraising" to talk about the literal life-saving importance of being an organ donor. This interview is another in a series where my guests talk about the impact of nonprofit work from the donor/recipient perspective.
A father of nine children, Roger sketches a 25-year history of heart issues that ultimately led him to need a heart transplant after having heart disease for 13 of those years. He movingly shares some incredible experiences as an organ donor recipient, including one involving connecting with the mother of the person whose heart was transplanted into Roger.
Since becoming a transplant recipient, Roger has devoted significant time to raising awareness of the need for organ, cornea, and tissue donors. He talks about his educational advocacy efforts and volunteering with DonorConnect. "The wider we cast the net, the more people are in the system, when a need comes, then we have more people who have the potentiality of being a donor."
Thank you Roger for being a great ambassador for organ, eye, and tissue donation! It was very meaningful to connect with you on your experience and to help raise awareness for as wide a net as possible of organ donors.

People in Fundraising ep. 105: Anne Murphy, founder of Empowered Fundraiser

Many in the "People in Fundraising" audience know today's guest, Anne Murphy, from her dynamic and engaging LinkedIn posts about Artificial Intelligence and fundraising topics. I am delighted to welcome Anne to this program, and share her fascinating interview with you all.
Anne discusses her decision to take an entrepreneurial path almost 5 years ago, after a long tenure in higher education development. In 2021, she launched Empowered Fundraiser, a nonprofit consultant firm.
Anne also shares her keen interest in AI and her response to a great quote from U2's Bono, who in touting his autobiography once said, "Life is the creative act." Anne strikes me as a very creative person and professional; her reaction to this quote is fascinating.
Thank you Anne for an outstanding conversation!

People in Fundraising, ep. 104: Dr. Shalonda Martin; Pomona College, DEI Strategist, Organizational Development

Shalonda Martin, Ed.D., and I first met at the CASE District VII and VIII Conference in Anaheim, California, this past March. Current Apra International President Rodger Devine, who works with Shalonda at Pomona College, immediately introduced us and suggested that Shalonda would be a great guest. He was 100% right, and it is my pleasure to highlight Shalonda in today's interview.
Listen as Shalonda discusses her career in advancement services. She also shares her perspective on organizational development (especially with a DEI lens), her experience as a coach and consultant, and her response to three-time Olympic gold medalist and civil rights activist Wilma Rudolph's quote, "The triumph can't be had without the struggle."
Thank you Shalonda for an outstanding interview!

People in Fundraising ep. 103: Dominique Calixte, Big Sister Association of Greater Boston

Thanks to season 1 guest Jessica McNeill, I had the blessing of interviewing Dominique Calixte in "People in Fundraising." She has a terrific story to tell about her journey to social impact work!
Tune in to hear Dominique discuss her goal to activate Millennials as change-makers through philanthropy and effective DEI practices. She talks about this goal in relation to herself as a Millennial as well. Dominique also shares the importance of representation in her mentoring and volunteer work for other young women of color in philanthropy.
Thank you Dominique for an outstanding and enjoyable conversation!