Veronica Martini (my boss at Columbia)invited Howard Stevenson (one of her mentor's) to speak at our team retreat this past summer. We have recorded the conversation as a live Debrief Episode. Howard talks about his experience as a donor and fundraiser as the Sarofim-Rock Baker Foundation Professor Emeritus at Harvard University. His main message is to talk about philanthropy as the solution to root problems through various institutions.

Connect: Insta- @devdebrief email- [email protected]

Suzanne Hilser- Wiles, (President at GG + A) helps us understand diversity, equity, and inclusion challenges in our field from a consultant's expert perspective. She then shares her own challenges as a woman in a historically male-dominated field. She offers stories, data, and insight to back up her thoughtful ideas and viewpoints. Hopefully this conversation will help you think about some real changes you can make in your own organization. This one is a real treat!

Connect with me- instagram: @devdebrief email: [email protected]

This week we hear from our very first married couple. Our guests, Meg and Phil George (co-founders of George Development Group) have built a full service consulting firm together and talk with us about their process and approach. Their core competency is the implementation of major gift programs and we have fun learning more about that and hearing their predictions for the next generation of philanthropy.

https://www.georgedevgroup.com/

Connect with me on IG: @devdebrief or email: [email protected]

Kathi Warren (Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations at Rice University) and I talk accountability, approachability, and the importance of team culture. Kathi explains how her STEM background sets her apart and opens up about being one of the few African American leaders in the industry. Listen to learn more!

Connect on @devdebrief or email me at [email protected]

On this special episode of the debrief I will share some of my personal experiences with virtual visits. I walk through how I am securing meetings and share how I prepare, execute, and close meetings virtually. We can do this if we support one another and embrace the change!

Shoutout to my Columbia teammates who are my closest collaborators who helped inspire this episode!

I am hoping this will start a conversation, please add your thoughts on @devdebrief or email [email protected]

Matt Lachs (Development Officer at Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology) has realized a childhood dream. Being in development was something he always wanted and it hasn’t let him down yet. He oozes enthusiasm and as he talks about his career and the change philanthropy can make both within society and on the most personal levels. Matt talks about his experience in Corporate and Foundation Relations, especially within the context of Covid. He also talks about his experiences working at UPenn and why he loves development so much.

Today I speak with Tamara Rogers, the former Vice President for Alumni affairs and development at Harvard University. In the first half of the conversation I asked her to talk about her career- candidly and with reflection from her first job to her last. In the second half, She shares her thoughts on management, mentorship, and campaigns. Tamara lead The Harvard Campaign whose public phase was 2013-2018, and with an announced goal of $6.5B, and it concluded at over $9.6B

When you hear principal gift- what do you think? I tend to think of named buildings, billionaires, and hushed conversations behind closed doors. Today, I was lucky to snag the brilliant and bold Ben Porter (Associate Dean of Advancement for Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management) to de-mystify principal gifts for this week’s podcast. Ben gives us the inside scoop on his book The Principal Gifts Checklist. We unpack principal gifts together from the definition to the inner workings of 8 and 9 figure gifts. We talk about problem solving, the similarities and differences with major gifts, and the universal imperative of trust.

You can purchase his book here: https://store.case.org/PersonifyEbusiness/Store/Product-Details/productId/1221588778

Fundraising in a field based on connections. We need to make connections with our donors and within our institutions. The same is true for the field. As fundraising professionals, how can we give back and help our colleagues who have been either laid off or furloughed during this uncertain time? How will we build and grow the talent pipeline for our field?

Featured are Brooke Schostak and Bonnie Taylor who talk about their experiences looking for work and share ideas for ways we can help! Please share more ideas on instagram @devdebrief

This is the trailer for Season 2. The first official episode will be out on 9/9/2020. Join us for more conversations about development as our field continues to change and grow.

Music by Susan Van Sickle.