nonprofit leader | hiking enthusiast | storyteller
Celebrate is one of my core values. It is hard to carve out moments in a day to celebrate when you feel the urgency of moving on to the next task. The emojis in zoom don’t cut it, and I’m not really interested in a high-five being all we do to acknowledge an accomplishment. In … Continue reading Why you need a gong
Kristen Hess Deo knows people. She spends her days listening deeply, trying to understand the complexity of human lives, and sharing the true stories of people in poverty. She does this as a storyteller at a big food bank in the Bay Area, supporting the messaging that educates the community about their mission. I got … Continue reading It’s not about you, nonprofit.
I get to work with Sarah Marino of Campbell & Company from time to time. Sarah was a true partner in the changing landscape of fundraising at Second Harvest - where I worked prior to joining Aperio Philanthropy - during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. We were in the middle of a modest fundraising … Continue reading Generosity should be joyful
For some, alienation and exclusion When I was setting up a big capital campaign in 2021, was faced with a new question about fundraising that caused some unease for me and my staff. As a fundraiser for 15+ years, there were some things that would stay the same: the giving triangle had to be developed, … Continue reading What’s in a name?
I remember a friend saying, Oh, my parents divorced but it is no big deal. It's common. I can see why this would be a thread of logic: it happens often, we (as a society) get used to it, it shouldn’t affect me. But the difference is that this thing, while common, is deeply personal … Continue reading A forgettable transition
I knew almost immediately what they needed. It was obvious, and would be so impactful. For decades people would talk about the partnerships started (humbly by me) to get running water to the villages. I was a Peace Corps Volunteer and I had a solution. I had been in my village of Martuni, Armenia, for two … Continue reading A shocking lesson
Cat Cvengros – the VP of Development and Marketing at Second Harvest of Silicon Valley in San Jose, CA – explains to Steffan Chirazi that struggle does not discriminate, which is why we must all help without question. From the moment Cat Cvengros bounds out to meet us in the lobby of the Second Harvest … Continue reading That time metallica put me on their blog
The steps of getting a client ready for public speaking: Trust-building - this may happen naturally at one of your nonprofit’s services, or it may be via an introduction or interview process. The goal is to establish an understanding of each of your roles and how you are connected to the nonprofit’s mission. Sometimes it … Continue reading Storytelling: It is a job, so pay for it
Cat Slack 