People in Fundraising, ep. #116: Eduardo Ayala Fuentes, Columbia University

With gratitude to my friend and season 1 guest Ron Bembry for connecting me with today's terrific guest, I am pleased to share this conversation with Eduardo Ayala Fuentes! Originally from Chile, Eduardo has an extensive career in frontline development fundraising work and recently earned an Executive Master's of Public Administration degree from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, where he works.

In our conversation, Eduardo discusses:

* How he entered the fundraising profession right out of college, as a paid fundraising intern at a nonprofit that he was passionate about, the Council of the Americas. He also shares about his role as a board member at Valley of the Possible, the center for regenerative culture in the Andes Mountains of Chile. 

 

* His fundraising work at a variety of arts and culture and policy institutions, including El Museo del Barrio in East Harlem; the Friends of the Highline (a public park on Manhattan's West Side); and the SoHo-based Leslie-Loman Museum, a leading center for art by LGBTQ+ artists and for works addressing the LGBTQ+ community.

* How "development has opened up so many doors for" Eduardo, including by "engaging my intellect" and being "a career path that has really aligned with my values."

 

* Eduardo's driving curiosity to understand fundraising and organizational strategy, "thinking about their sustainability, how they're operating and making decisions."

* Effecting ethical and sustainable change in organizations, in the nonprofit sector, and in our culture in a time of legislative rollbacks on rights, support for the nonprofit community, etc. 

 

Thank you Eduardo for sharing your very thought-provoking and well-considered perspective on the nonprofit world and your role in it! I look forward to seeing your career continue to progress.