The Development Debrief

Today I have the pleasure of featuring my very own boss, Veronica Martini. Our discussions is focused around how our team is responding to COVID-19. To remind everyone, our team consists of central major gift officers and executive assistants who travel domestically and internationally. We are no longer able to do the primary work function that our team was designed to do. Our colleague Suzanne At...

People say timing is everything. In this episode, We talk about timing and choosing the right job based on the team, and institution. Jeff Richard tells us that choosing where to commit your time as a fundraising professional is about more than just what you are passionate about. Where is the institution in it’s life phase? How can you make a difference within that context? I was expecting Jeff to...

When I started telling my closest friends and family I wanted to do a podcast, I got advice, support, and great leads. Michael Cantor, (whose opinion matters a lot to me) lit up and said, you HAVE To have Ryan Davis on the debrief!!! He knows Ryan as a donor and volunteer at his alma mater, The University of Michigan. He told me that Ryan can engage and make the most non-social person comfortable....

This episode is the prequel to the moment when our students open their acceptance letters. In higher ed, that is where the journey begins. However, for me- this conversation puts a magnifying glass over the "what" and the "why" for raising financial aid dollars. We do not talk explicitly about development, but rather dig into stories that demonstrate the immense amount of work Rachael’s team at Ne...

Do you wonder what it’s like to work remotely? What is your colleague who works from home actually doing? This episode is a conversation in three parts. First, I talk with Chase about how he started a remote role at Stanford and how he makes it work for him. As a father of four and professional with a heavy travel role, he talks about why he decided to work remotely and what the pros and cons are...

Welcome to our special Valentine’s Day episode. We are going to talk about hearts today. And no- I don’t mean the bruised and vulnerable hearts of those of us dating in New York City. I mean Babies Hearts. Our guests, John Minio and Scott Roskind are the co-chairs of the Babies Heart Fund. The Babies Heart Fund is devoted to supporting vital research initiatives that will allow all children suffer...

The name of and spirit of today’s episode is inspired by a special initiative at Columbia University that is taking place today, February 9th 2020. She Opened the Door began at Columbia with a historic conference in New York City in 2018. This could not be a more perfect back drop for our interview with Susan Feagin. The woman, the myth, the legend is one of the first female IVY league VPs, an ext...

In this week’s episode, Steve Poskanzer, the President of Carleton College talks about his perspective on development and explains where their current campaign fits into his priorities. A true legal brain, he explains how this informs his preparation for making asks and I was surprised to learn of his strategy. Steve underscores the kindness of the Midwestern community, the value of a liberal arts...

Have you ever wanted to ask your Chief Development Officer what she thinks about the field, her own professional journey, or her biggest insecurities? From the bosses perspective, have you ever wanted to know what your direct report was really thinking? Have you wondered what motivates them and how they view their role in the organization? On this episode, my Dad and I ask each other these questio...

Dawn and I have an open and honest conversation about her work with the global donor community, Women Moving Millions, her own philanthropy, and how she would apply her seasoned marketing and sales tactics to managing a development portfolio. A graduate of Wellesley College, she has focused her business work on helping brands and companies spark innovation and develop new products and strategies t...

Rhea and I share the story of how we met and became mentor/mentee. We talk about the culture differences in east vs west coast fundraising, working for public vs. private institutions, as well as the importance of being transparent with your bosses and mentors. Rhea talks about how to grow within a large institution and the importance of putting your well-being first- in the service of producing y...

Craig and I talked about the program he co-founded called The Four Decisions and the Two-Part Conversation. Craig explains how we can own the conversation through deep listening and good questioning. Discovering “what you don’t know” about your donors is especially important as Craig underscores that 75-90% of people’s wealth is in their assets, not in their cash. More important than any of these...

I spoke with Chris about his career progression from research analyst to Director of Development. He shared the importance of internal relationships and personal metrics as tools to raising his first million and rising through the ranks at Cornell's New York City office.

This is the introduction for the stories-based podcast that interviews donors, professionals, and thought leaders in the field of fundraising.