The Development Debrief

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 T...

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.

After 28 weekly episodes, I am ending Season 1 and taking the rest of the summer to plan for Season 2. The last 7 months of this podcast have been a fabulous journey. I will share my experience recording and my key takeaways from the season. Enjoy the rest of the summer and I look forward to continuing our conversation about creative fundraising and finding joy in our work. As Oprah says, "the pow...

Happy FY21! This year comes at us with a new set of challenges and opportunities. We are tasked with continuing to rethink our donor relationships and building new ones. At the beginning of this season, I interviewed consultant, Craig Smith. Craig is a business partner of today’s guest- Dan Shephard (Principal of The Shephard Group). The two work together on sharing and teaching The Four Decisions...

Happy 4th of July! In honor of the holiday weekend, I have decided to feature Abigail Smitka (Regional Director, Major Gifts at Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University)a close friend, confidant, and peer mentor. July is always an opportunity to get grounded and reconnect with our motivations and goals. Abbie has always helped me get grounded—starting with my very first develop...

As an academic, Kevin Hallock (Dean and Professor of Strategy and Business Economics at the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business) has the ability to make complicated concepts relatable to students. Today’s podcast allows us to be Kevin’s students as we hear him talk about the financial structure of higher ed, why tuition continues to rise, and he explains the uses for endowment. I plan to use so...

Today I talk with two of my peers in our field Thomas Moore, Director of Individual Giving at New York Road Runners and Britani Griffin, Associate Development Director at the Be The Match Foundation. They are rising stars, currently in leadership roles at their institutions. They share their optimism for the future and gratitude for the national conversation and acknowledgement across colors of ra...

By now, most if not all of us have gotten an email from our institutions and leadership denouncing the heinous crimes we have seen take place in our country against people of color. But the question is, now what? My conversation with Birgit Smith Burton, (Executive Director of Foundation Relations, Georgia Institute of Technology)only scratches the surface of an issue Birgit has been working on fo...

What changes will remain from Covid-19 for Higher Ed development? Dennis Barden (Senior Partner at WittKiefer) and I talk about his predictions regarding June 30th changes, permanent online shifts, and the ethical nature of making a move during quarantine. The good news is, Dennis says the demand for good fundraisers will only increase as we enter a new "Golden Age of Philanthropy"….listen to lear...

Have you ever wondered how schools pull off large naming gifts or big institutional change? Michele Schiele (Senior Associate Vice President for Development, Stanford University)has been part of several historic development moments and challenging projects throughout her career. She shares with us what goes into this work and how best to lead it. Michele let’s us know that strong female mentors we...

Brilliant minds are fascinating and complex. One of the greatest gifts of our profession is the opportunity to work with highly successful donors and incredibly talented faculty and staff. I have always felt inspired by these individuals. However, working with them is not always easy. In this short bonus episode, Michele Schiele (Senior Associate Vice President for Development at Stanford Universi...

What is your purpose? How do you re-energize? In today’s episode, Phil Wilkerson, Industry Advisor at George Mason University, shares a bit about his own work, gives us some advice he gives his students, and then we get philosophical as he talks about the deeper meaning of life and what brings us all here. Phil practices what he preaches. He networked with me via LinkedIn and we connected virtuall...

Welcome to our special Mother's Day Episode! Whether your mother is with you in person, virtually, or in your heart, we are all marked by our mothers in some way. This conversation helps me realize, our mother’s don’t only help us grow, we push them to grow and better themselves too. Our guest for this episode talks about her experience of being a mother as a grateful patient, as well juggling a p...

This conversation is an interview, just like my other past episode have been. However, it can also serve as a template to think about your donor meetings moving forward. If you are interested in my thoughts on virtual visits, and take-a-ways from Tara’s comments as donor, keep listening after her remarks and I will share my reflections. Thank you for tuning in and for continuing to do such importa...

This conversation was recorded pre-covid and I have waited to share it because it didn’t feel as relevant when were all scrambling to transition to remote work several weeks ago. Now, I realize it’s more relevant than ever. Fritz Schroeder (VP for Development and Alumni Relations at Johns Hopkins University)and I start with an unscripted conversation about financial aid and the historic 1.8 Billio...

Talking with Shanna Hocking, Associate Vice President, Individual Giving at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, on this episode led to a major moment of clarity for me in my own work. We talk about the importance of a personal brand as a professional, and how we can grow and dream about the future while physically sheltering in place. Shortly after we stopped recording, I used her advice and...

Hindsight is such a bittersweet gift we have. How can we look back on our choices and learn from them? Did we do it right? Did we make a huge mistake? The nature of COVID-19 with it’s waves and regional timeline, gives us the opportunity to hear from a university leader who is 2-3 weeks ahead of those of us living on the east coast. Dan Peterson, Vice President for Development for University Advan...

How do we handle crisis communications during COVID-19? You are about to hear the alumni relations perspective from Michelle Vaeth, Associate Vice President for Alumni Affairs at Cornell University. Drawing on her long previous Procter and Gamble experience, Michelle shares mantras that help her during crisis, defines the difference between regular communication and crisis communication, offers be...

You might be asking yourself, what does faith have to do with it? I am pushing the New York atheist envelope and daring to say that faith is a critical element of life right now as we grapple with the new realities of COVID-19. We are being stripped to the basics and forced to rethink what matters most. This episode is the Debrief’s version of Chicken Soup for the Soul. We talk about morning ritua...

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...