People in Fundraising: A Nonprofit Podcast by Tim Wilson

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!

People in Fundraising episode 102: Armando Zumaya, Somos el Poder

Veteran philanthropic leader Armando Zumaya joins "People in Fundraising" to share some incredible success stories over his decades in social impact work. We had a great conversation!
Tune in to hear Armando describe several topics, including the founding of Somos El Poder, which assists Latinx-focused nonprofits improve their fundraising operations. And please read Armando's 2023 LinkedIn article about his journey through the nonprofit world: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/descubriendo-nuestro-propio-poder-my-journey-through-world-zumaya%3FtrackingId=1vhmsXpWombuleUU3uLowg%253D%253D/?trackingId=1vhmsXpWombuleUU3uLowg%3D%3D
Thank you Armando for a wonderful and thought-provoking interview!

People in Fundraising, ep. #101: Nida Januskis, Associate Dean of Advancement, INSEAD

Nida Januskis has been one of my all-time favorite colleagues, a mentor, and a friend to me for years. Welcoming her to "People in Fundraising" is an honor. It has been a pleasure watching Nida's career progress since our time at Harvard Business School (HBS), where she focused on donor engagement of HBS alumni and friends on-the-ground in Europe.
Since then, Nida has held various roles at INSEAD, one of the world's leading business schools. She focuses on engaging INSEAD's 70,000+ alumni around the world, with 3 campuses across the globe - and where no more than 10% of each class is represented by any one country.
In our conversation, Nida describes:
* Being a Lithuanian-American, spending a year backpacking with her husband, and starting her career in commercial real estate. The backpacking trip was a preamble to Nida's later career, and through commercial real estate, she developed an interest in fundraising.
* Meeting Jill Morelli, who was then working at HBS, which led to Nida joining the fundraising team. Nida managed young alumni in her first tenure at the school, then transferred to Paris for her husband's career and focused on their young family before an "HBS 2.0" opportunity in Paris developed.
* Working with such a diverse student body and staff, how this exposure to diversity is critical to engaging with alumni - and leads to a strong spirit of creativity, nimbleness, and an exciting entrepreneurial drive, which results in lifelong learning opportunities, a new My INSEAD app, and much more.
* The importance of finding time outside of one's work and personal commitments to express one's values through supporting nonprofits. Nida talks about her involvement with female empowerment nonprofits RefuSHE (a Kenya-based organization) and the European Network for Women in Leadership (WIL), an academic partner of INSEAD.
* Overcoming self-doubt and getting out of your own way, with a fantastic example from Nida's career when she appeared on a French news broadcast.
* Challenges Nida has overcome to become "a digital badass," asking stupid questions, and the critical need to surround yourself with the right people, since we all have aspects of our skillset that we are not good at.
Thank you Nida for an awesome conversation. You generously offer advice and mentorship to others, and viewers/listeners will enjoy your fantastic insights!

People in Fundraising, episode #100: Louis Diez, founder of the Donor Participation Project

Today's "People in Fundraising" episode is a special conversation - episode 100! And for this centennial interview, I am really delighted and honored to have Louis Diez as my guest! Many in my audience know Louis from his insightful and exploratory LinkedIn posts about the current state of philanthropy; how we can increase donor participation; and challenges and opportunities in the social impact sector.
In our fascinating and fun conversation, Louis discusses:
* his launch of the Donor Participation Project in 2020, and what it offers to our industry
* starting the Annual Fund Toolkit in April 2023, and how it blends "academic insights, real-world experience, and strategic analysis to accelerate fundraising success."
* what motivated Louis to embark on these two entrepreneurial ventures after years working in development for institutions
* his background as a musician, including performing with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, and what connections he sees between the work of a musician and the work of a social impact leader
* in a personal spotlight, Louis' response to legendary TV producer Norman Lear ("All in the Family," "The Jeffersons") once remarking that "Laughter and pleasure add time to one's life."
Thank you Louis for a wonderful and highly enjoyable conversation! I am grateful to be connected with you and connected through our social impact efforts. 
And thank you to my "People in Fundraising" audience for your support across these first 100 episodes! Many more conversations are lining up for the years ahead.

People in Fundraising, episode 99: Yale University's Jill Meister

It's my great pleasure to feature today's "People in Fundraising" guest, Jill Meister! She is the 99th guest on this program, two years into its run. Jill and I currently co-chair Apra International's Executive Leadership Cohort (ELC), a day-long program for senior prospect development pros at the annual Apra PD conference next month, in Seattle. We are so excited for ELC! ELC is part of Apra's Education and Professional Development committee, chaired by the awesome Dina Zelleke.
In our conversation, Jill - who received NEDRA's Ann Castle Award in 2017 for outstanding achievement in prospect development - discusses:
* Her beginnings in higher education prospect research at UMass-Amherst, which is my alma mater (Jill and I were on-campus at the same time for a few years but didn't know each other then).
* Her longtime senior volunteer leadership roles as president of both NEDRA (New England Development Research Assoc) (the largest Apra International chapter) in the mid-2000s and, one decade later, of Apra International.
* Before we started recording, the great mentorship and generosity of another prospect development professional, Elizabeth Crabtree.
* How the prospect development industry has changed over Jill's nearly three decades in this profession - and what stories most resonate with her as she reflects on this tenure.
 
Thank you Jill for such an enjoyable and enlightening conversation! I am excited to see you in-person again next month in Seattle!

People in Fundraising, season 3, ep. 27: We Are For Good's Becky Endicott & Jon McCoy

"Good can be generative and can just keep going!" That is the spirit of We Are For Good and its co-founders, today's People in Fundraising guests Becky Endicott, CFRE and Jon McCoy, CFRE. They were dream guests, both from Oklahoma (first time the Sooner State has been repped), and I loved our conversation, with Jon joining from his family vacation in an Airstream!
Key content from Becky and Jon:
* Please join #ImpactUp by registering for We Are For Good's ImpactUp (link in comments) this Thursday, July 11th. It is a day-long gathering for social impact leaders, and you can join virtually or in-person at one of several sites around the globe!
* The origins of the We Are For Good movement and media company, and their vision to “democratize and activate generosity, kindness, and justice in the world.” It connects nonprofit leaders to media and tech companies in order to get social impact messaging out faster and have a larger positive impact on society.
Founded 3 ½ years ago, We Are For Good consistently has one of the highest-ranked social impact podcasts, part of a larger We Are For Good ecosystem for all nonprofit professionals to participate in this movement. It aims to impact 1,000,000 people by 2025, and Becky and Jon are well on their way to that goal!
* Becky's and Jon's goals with “Impact Uprising” – to heal the world, cause-by-cause and community-by-community, to encourage everyone to see themselves as philanthropists, and to connect with the approximately 90% of the U.S. workforce outside of the nonprofit space that is also full of people who want to do good. ImpactUp features a stellar lineup of speakers who represent this diversity of expertise and backgrounds.
* “The world needs our rumbling right now. The thing that harms your staff in a nonprofit will eventually trickle down to harm your nonprofit’s mission. And we have to talk about both of those. And it starts with talking about our own stories, our own narratives. We are compassionate disruptors!”
Thank you Becky and Jon for an amazing and generous conversation! Your positivity, warmth, and passion for shifting the social impact sector for good are empowering. So excited for Thursday's #ImpactUp!

People in Fundraising, season 3, ep. 26: Eclipse Research Group's Crystal Leochko Johnston, Manitoba

Happy Canada Day to nonprofiteers in or from Canada! To celebrate this national holiday, Crystal Leochko Johnston, MA joined the People in Fundraising podcast a few weeks ago. She is my first guest from the Canadian province of Manitoba, and I am glad to welcome her to this program!
In our conversation, Crystal discusses:
* Her motivation to launch Eclipse Research Group to support fundraising clients with prospect identification and wealth analysis, after just a few years working in the nonprofit world
* Her wide-ranging civic involvement, including with the Rossdale Ukrainian Dance School as its fundraising coordinator (Crystal was a Ukrainian dancer when she was growing up) and with the Tetra Society of North America, which supplies devices to people who have physical disability
* The helpful impact of prospect research and overall nonprofit leaders like Jennifer Filla, Helen E. Brown, Tracey Church, MLIS, and Jennifer Walton, CFRE, who Crystal cites as her mentor.
* Her involvement with Apra Canada, including co-chairing this chapter's conference and serving as a mentor; and being involved with AFP Manitoba as a board member and co-chair of its National Philanthropy Awards ceremony, among other assignments.
Thank you Crystal for a really enjoyable interview, spotlighting your passion for nonprofit work as a professional and a longtime volunteer!

People in Fundraising, season 3, ep. 25: Blackbaud's Steffanie Brown

When someone like Steffanie Brown is a longtime, enthusiastic supporter of my "People in Fundraising" content, it's an honor to connect with Steffanie as a guest herself! Steffanie and I have both worked in prospect development/ prospect management and research for ~25 years.
And any chance for me to cite one of my favorite songs, the Grateful Dead's "Ripple," is an opportunity to spread goodness. Thankfully, Steffanie gives me that moment by talking about another Dead song that inspired her recent LinkedIn post: "What a long, strange trip it's been," from "Truckin.'"
Steffanie also shares these anecdotes, related to trying to help "what little corner of the world I can":
* her records of longevity at prior shops, including one where "there was no one left in the building who had been there longer than me" when Steffanie left. She saw "a lot of changes to the org chart!"
* how she marked her 25th anniversary in the field by leaving her last job :-) after considering what Steffanie wants the next chapter of her career to look like, and taking a really interesting and re-charging sabbatical
* the critical soft skills that Steffanie had, and enhanced, through her work at faith-oriented shops and in church choirs, and how she brought those with her to more secular shops in time.
Thank you Steffanie for a wonderful interview! I wish you continued success and fulfillment, now in your new role at Blackbaud!

People in Fundraising, season 3, ep. 24: Singapore American School's Austin Tomlinson

For the first time in “People in Fundraising’s” two-year broadcast history, I interviewed a guest who was a day ahead of me time-zone wise! Austin Tomlinson joins the program from Singapore, where he has been the Chief Advancement Officer for the Singapore American School for about 10 months. We enjoyed naming people we both know – future PIF guests Nida Januskis and Julie Anne McNary; season 3 guest Paola Horvath; and the awesome Janet Cahill!
Speaking of people, Austin mentions mentors Bob Pallone, Joanne Shoveller, and Tom Boasberg as being instrumental in his career to-date.
Austin also discusses:
*His educational background, including how being a Rotary Exchange Student at age 16 set his trajectory in international education
*Living and studying in Switzerland, Bolivia, and Hungary; being fluent in Hungarian, Italian, and Spanish, and how this fluency helps to connect across multiple cultures with donors and constituents
*Living in Singapore for the last 9+ years, after nearly a decade in development at institutions in Switzerland (Franklin University Switzerland) and at INSEAD
*How education in much of the world, outside of the U.S., is state- and government-funded; lot of work to be done to educate constituents about how private education is funded “and the role that philanthropy plays in shaping these organizations."
Thank you Austin for a very interesting conversation! I learned a good deal about international advancement work and connecting across cultures with donors and constituents.

People in Fundraising, season 3, ep. 23: Harvard Kennedy School's Jessica Muñoz-Sainz

Jessica Muñoz-Sainz had just returned from her first development trip to London, before our “People in Fundraising” interview! She talks enthusiastically about this weeklong series of fundraising events, and that excitement carries over to our entire conversation.
Jessica and I got connected through “People in Fundraising” season 1 guest Jessica McNeill. Thank you Jessica!
In our conversation, Jessica covers:
*Being one of 10 children in a first-generation family, and the first in her family to attend college
*How her academic background in criminal justice, bioarcheology, and anthropology honed her research skills, enhanced her ability to connect with people, and give expression to Jessica’s innate curiosity
*How getting an internship through CASE, and being placed at Johns Hopkins, began her career in fundraising. This opportunity led to Jessica being a mentor to many students with similar family and economic backgrounds as herself.
*Starting at the 20-minute mark, how Jessica as a young fundraising professional looks at development processes with a fresher perspective
*Socio-economic and cultural differences in how people think about philanthropy (e.g., some communities feeling like a phone-a-thon call is intrusion; being surprised that people would give money to a cause)
*Hiring for a more inclusive workplace – what can institutions and hiring managers do better? What policies and unconscious biases are at play in less-inclusive workplaces?
Thank you for a very thoughtful and interesting conversation, Jessica! I am excited to see your career in fundraising continue!