A New Way to Connect with Donors

In February of 2020, after three wonderful years, I furled my sails with the Egan Maritime Institute on Nantucket to begin a new chapter of my nonprofit professional life off the island. Reflecting on my time with Egan, I fostered terrific growth for the organization’s annual unrestricted operating funds (the membership program doubled along with Annual Fund donors and donations), and a greater growth within my own personal set of skills: learning the ropes of video production.

Sharing the compelling stories of a cultural organization’s mission, in my experience, is the biggest key to increasing donor participation across the board, and as a fundraiser with small-shop Museums who often lack funds for expensive video projects, learning to shoot, edit, and share videos specifically created to capture new prospects attention and inspire current supporters with the impact of their donations is vital.

The below videos are organized from the last video I shot and produced at Egan to the very first. I adore this order. I can really see my own growth in skills and vision, and am proud of the evolution. With few exceptions, the footage was captured on an iPhone 10X, and edited using Adobe Premiere Pro and Adobe Photoshop.

Weekly Reads

Here is the quick update: New job as Director of Development here. Like any good endeavor, I’m in deep. But I’m swimming in the deep and loving it. I’ve go much in the works to share with you (how to leave your job and leave it well; package your asks; leverage your social media), but until those words move from napkins and the backside of #9 envelopes to digital form, I’m going to share and promote some good reads from fundraising professional for fundraising professionals.

Continue reading Weekly Reads

What’s the Point of Creativity?

“Philanthropy means, literally, love of humanity. You don’t have to give a million dollars to charity to be a philanthropist. You simply have to actively demonstrate your love of humanity. Your empathy. If the purpose of our creativity is philanthropy — if it is love for our fellow man, an appreciation that people struggle in their lives, and a desire to somehow lessen that struggle and increase their joy, with a little more leg room or with an iPad — it will change the world. And that is the greatest competitive advantage of all.”

Read the entire article here: HBR.

Change is Hard

Change is Hard: Create Your A-Team – Guest Post from the Nantucket Historical Association’s Michelle Soverino

Posted by to Altru on July 1, 2013

Before going live with Altru the Nantucket Historical Association input and stored all of its data in two places: one database that served all its development needs—with a few “fudged” processes to track group tours and facility rentals, and one POS system that tracked museum visitors along with Museum Shop sales and inventory.

Continue reading Change is Hard

Second Place

The New England Museum Association announced the winners of their annual publication awards in their latest newsletter this morning. I am super pleased to share that my 2013 NHA Calendar came in 2nd place for the supplementary materials category. I haven’t been part of the competition since my tenure at the Egan Maritime Institute. It’s great to be a part of the publications competition again! I had such a great time designing this year’s calendar (below). Continue reading Second Place

A Donor Bill of Rights

Philanthropy is based on voluntary action for the common good.

My entire professional career (five years in the field and two collegiate internships) has been shaped in the glorious arena of fundraising. From the start of my first internship, I was hooked. I adore working with donors, supporting missions, and strategically planning fundraising initiatives. My first boss recognized this—she was a great, dynamic mentor—and sent me to an AFP’s Fundamentals of Fundraising Course (Boston, October 2009), which provided me with a solid platform to build my practice. The first topic we discussed was the Donor Bill of Rights. Five years later I’ve a laminated copy next to my phone (with all other documents I like to keep on-hand and coffee-stained free). It has become a great reminder of the basics: donors come first. Continue reading A Donor Bill of Rights

Authentic Relations

I highly recommend setting aside a professional development hour for LinkedIn content pursuing. Their contributors are the heavy-hitters of business discourse, and I never suffer “readers remorse.” On the contrary, I’m inspired and spend a few minutes after each read jotting down notes and brainstorming.

One of today’s reads was from business journalist George Anders, “What Low-Key People Can Teach Us.” Pungent excerpts: Continue reading Authentic Relations