People in Fundraising ep. 148: Val Roberts, longtime prospect research leader and Tim's first boss

25 years ago this month, Val Roberts became my first-ever manager in nonprofits. I was new to fundraising, with almost no knowledge about prospect research. In the 2+ years that Val was my boss, she helped develop my skills and interest in this side of fundraising. Plus, from Val I learned the value of making work fun and enjoyable - so important in my first post-college role. 

While I had temped for 6 months on the same floor as Val's team at Harvard Business School, we worked on opposite wings in Teele Hall and didn't know each other. Val took a chance and gave an opportunity to a relative unknown - and a quarter-century later, Val's impact on my career and life are profound and so meaningful. 

I am delighted to share Val's "People in Fundraising" interview. She joined me from Panama, where she is loving retirement! In our conversation, Val talks about:

* Career highlights, including how prospect research has dramatically expanded due to technology improvements and how it is viewed by nonprofit leaders. Val jokes that she started in prospect research "back in the dinosaur days, when there was no Internet!"

*How Val's "pathological curiosity" was well-suited to researching donors, alumni, and prospects for her higher education and healthcare employers during her 35-year career.

* What led her to become a dedicated world traveler, and what motivations brought her to Panama. 

* The importance of cultivating a lifelong sense of joy and wonder about life and our world. 

 

Thank you, Val, for a wonderful conversation about your career and life! I loved hearing about your innate curiosity about life, peoples, and cultures from around our world.