Asking for Good: Fundraisers help you launch your Nonprofit Career

This 15-minute episode takes you through the best of what our guests shared about the practice and skill of fundraising. Hiring managers shared what they look for in candidates, academics shared the importance of the professionalization of the sector, practitioners shared how they knew a career in the nonprofit sector was right for them and how they navigate their career. Guests represen...

This episode explores the bigger questions of the nonprofit sector and digs into the specific methods used for securing a job in this market. Four young professionals discuss their latest job search after completing the MS of Nonprofit Management at Columbia University. They share what led them to grad school and which classes stay with them in practice. Aside from identifying their interests rela...

In this episode, Cindy M. Lott, Esq. brings wisdom from a remarkable career that includes building two post-graduate nonprofit academic programs. She encourages you to first identify and be guided by your own North Star, then use the framework she shares to evaluate your nonprofit career opportunities. As you apply and interview, demonstrate how you can be value-add today to the nonprofit. Because...

The grit and negotiating skills Jake Strang developed making his first fundraising ask in college as a paid student caller have stayed with him as he honed his craft throughout his professional career. A series of promotions and career moves have allowed Jake to grow as a professional fundraiser within annual giving, and he’s thrilled to be part of the annual giving revolution that is underway whe...

Meg George began her career as a frontline fundraiser and defined her career path by developing her strengths, not jumping through traditional hoops. Recognizing that major gift donors are the backbone of American philanthropy – and that transformational investments in nonprofit work are becoming the new norm – she rightfully claims, “it is a new day in philanthropy.” Meg invites you to join the s...

Ellen Archer parlayed her success in the publishing industry and skills as a communicator and creative problem solver to raise the profile of a nonprofit. She currently serves as board president of Girls Write Now where she helped grow the board and the pipeline for board members. She initiated a partnership committee that raised five times their goal through engagement with a variety of industrie...

Instead of mass applying to every job that looked semi-interesting, Katherine Cross took stock of the hiring organization and the job description. In this episode, she shares her process for identifying worthwhile opportunities and lessons learned from multiple virtual interviews. She shares how she prepared for interviews and the most common questions she was asked. The up-front investment of tim...

After college Blake thought he’d stick around the town of his alma mater and looked for a meaningful first job. He found a local chapter of a national nonprofit organization, where he was introduced to fundraising. He found his calling. Of which he says, people have a need to do good. That’s why they give. It’s the fundraiser who helps shepherd the donor’s story into the world. His career path inc...

Ramona Ramadar, MBA spotted a billboard for a job fair at the local hospital on her way home from her laboratory research job. That moment changed her career trajectory, at the job fair she had her first interview to work in fundraising. After a series of fundraising roles, she found a niche in gift planning. Ramona shares how to grow your career within an organization and key indicators that it i...

E. Ramone Segree, Ed. D., a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE), is a nonprofit executive, fundraiser, brand manager and strategist. He serves as U.S. Executive Director/Vice President, Marketing, Development and Communications for Women for Women International. He is a lecturer at Columbia University, School of Professional Studies in nonprofit management. In this episode, Ramone shares the st...

David Sherman learned he wanted to be closer to the mission and work in a  local office after working at the national and global levels of  nonprofits organizations. You can use his wayfinding tips to determine  the right organizations to apply to on your job search. In this episode,  David tells us all about a major gift that he facilitated as a national  staff person whi...

Bruce Morrow brings over 25 years of fundraising and nonprofit  experience. Bruce is an accomplished writer with his works having  appeared in the New York Times. Bruce shares how he got into the  nonprofit sector, all about a 7-figure ask he made, and the importance  of mentorship to career development. More at www.askingforgood.com