Career News

• Liesl Thomas ILD '11, is now VP of Development at Energy Outreach Colorado

• Kimberly Urish CFRE ILD '12 is offering consulting services! 

• Leah Bobbey CFRE ILD '22 is now Associate Director, Professional Advisor Relations at the Greater Cincinnati Foundation

• Katy Anderson ILD '18, is now Executive Director at the Denver Public Library Friends Foundation

• Jennifer Johnson ILD '15 is now Senior Director of Philanthropy at Denver Library Friends Foundation

• Kevin Mullin CFRE ILD ‘13, is now Director of Development at Judi’s House in Aurora

• Samantha Lincoln CFRE ILD '23 is now Director of Gift Planning at Colorado School of Mines

• Amy Stewart ILD ‘12 is now Vice President of Development at Mental Health Colorado

• Kate Verlaan ILD '14 is Chief Growth Officer at Water for People (4/24)

• Janet McFarland Burlile ILD '09 is now Chief Development Officer at Girls Scouts of Colorado (8/24)

• Renee Ferrufino ILD '16, is now President & CEO at The Women’s Foundation

• Maggie Stoot ILD '19, is now VP of Development at The Women’s Foundation

• Jaime Marston Cook ILD '20, recently joined the team as Major Gifts Officer at The Women’s Foundation

• Lindsey Hoffman ILD ‘25 is now Director of Development at Nourish Colorado 

ILD Volunteer Community 

• Jane Marsh is now Executive Director at Red Rocks Community College Foundation

• Tess Rickey, CFRE is now Chief Philanthropy Officer at Vote Solar

Essential Shifts in Philanthropy

Led by Scott Arthur, Vice Chancellor of Advancement, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Long-time ILD faculty member and fan favorite, Scott led the cohort through a fast-paced overview of the cultural shifts at CU Anschutz that have created a rewarding and people-centered environment for staff and donors. Underscoring the role of major gifts in nonprofit financial goals, participants are asked to consider their top 3 donors and create customized "Campaigns of One" for each relationship. While these donors are invited to come alongside you and invest in something where they have true alignment, this will come naturally as will their interest in future projects.
     Tip Look at your calendar; these top donors will have a tailored plan with the time and attention needed for the relationship.

Internally, creating a culture where everyone on the team feels welcome and supported is central to success. Metrics reflect your commitments and focus on engagement rather than solely on dollars. Value collaboration rather than competition. A key question to ask when preparing for a meeting is, "Have we earned the right to have this conversation?" (i.e. the investment you're asking for shouldn't shock your benefactor). 

     Tip Give new team members time to find their own voice. Everyone has their own style and gifts that they bring to this work. 

• Keep authenticity as a core value and make it evident in the work you do.
• Practice the joy of philanthropy: this work is full of meaning and purpose.
• What would it look like to be vision-based rather than needs-based?
• Consider your own plan in terms of gifts of significance
• Our work values listening far more than talking/selling
• Transformational gift opportunities will come at the intersection of: benefactor's values and aspirations, the nonprofit's mission and vision, and the fundraiser's integrity and passion.

Community Resources | Civic Engagement, Policy & Nonprofits 

The Women's Foundation of Colorado recently hosted a Chat4Change session with the author of Democracy in Retrograde: How to Make Changes Big and Small in our Country and in Our Lives, Emily Amick. The discussion focused on the value of civic engagement as powerful way to be proactive and find hope in the midst of uncertain times. 

“It may seem that only those already in power are the ones with the ability to make change, but democracy is a participation sport, and if we all take on one small part, we can make big changes.”

       “There are so many ways to be engaged in civic life: advocating for policy changes, joining a sports league, organizing a meal train for a sick neighbor, serving on a school board, or even trying to dismantle the entire system itself.”

― Sami Sage and Emily Amick, Democracy in Retrograde: How to Make Changes Big and Small in Our Country and in Our Lives

Community-Centric Fundraising + New Research 

This month, CCF and Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy hosted Adopting Community-Centric Fundraising: Findings from a national study with  Elizabeth J. Dale, Ph.D. and Maya Hemachandra, MPA, CFRE and Dana James from CCF!

Read the Report: Adopting Community Centric Fundraising

Hightlights

• 76% reported their organization had changed some fundraising policies or practices 
• Just over 50% of organizations reported making changes in 8 or more domains (principle areas) In practice, this looks like: 
• Sharing support with other nonprofits
1. Highlighting another nonprofit's work: 76.3%
2. Passed along funding opportunities: 65%
3. Shared fundraising resources with other orgs: 63.6%
4. Publicly crediting a partner org: 59%
• Working for systemic change

1. Taken a public stance on a politically charged issue: 47.3%
2. Written op-eds or other materials to challenge harmful perceptions/practices: 32.5%
3. Invited supporters to take political action: 29%

Ways to Get Engaged: Sign up for our newsletter or join the Community Centric Fundraising Mighty Networks to receive links to the Guide from Elizabeth and Maya out in April and to learn about their future panel in May.

More Resources 

Are you looking for ways to get more involved in your local nonprofit networks? Or, are you looking for where to stay informed about policy changes in 2025? We've rounded up some options for you below. 

association of Fundraising Professionals Colorado Chapter 

Coffee Chats | Membership | Mentor Program 

AFP International Advocacy & Resources

Colorado Planned Giving Roundtable

Membership | Summer Symposium | Mentor Program

Equity in the Center

Awake Awoke to Work | Services | Newsletter 3/25 Resistance in Bloom

National Council for Nonprofits

2025 Tax Policy Updates

Virtual Press Conference - March 4, 2025

Colorado Health Foundation

Policy News and Advocacy Tools | News Releases

The Denver Foundation 

2025 Policy Positions | 100th Anniversary

Colorado Nonprofit Association 

Advocacy Resources | Newsroom | Membership

Women's Foundation of Colorado 

Programs   |   Legislative Priorities

Blog: Colorado Fiscal Institute Helped Me Understand TABOR So I Can Advocate for Better Policy

 The Urban Institute 

What is the Financial Risk of Nonprofits Losing Government Grants?

Independent Sector 

Membership | Navigating This Moment Together: Advocacy, Action, and Resources

• Alumni Leadership @ The Women’s Foundation!
  Renee Ferrufino, ILD '16, is now President & CEO
  Maggie Stoot, ILD '19, is now VP of Development
  Jaime Marston Cook, ILD '20, recently joined the team as Major Gifts Officer

• Alumni Leadership @ Denver Library Friends Foundation! Katy Anderson, ILD '18 is now Executive Director
  Jennifer Johnson, ILD '15 is now Senior Director of Philanthropy 

• Cori Deterding, ILD '16, is selected as a 2025 Woman of Impact by the American Heart Association

• Theresa Garcia’s ILD '23 organization, FloCrit was featured on Kyle Clark’s word of thanks! 

• Sam Lincoln ILD '23 received her CFRE certification. Congratulations! 

• MaryBeth Lawson ILD '16 has been appointed to serve on the Colorado Women's Commission 

• Sarah Korn ILD '23 and Sarah James ILD '24 led our February Alumni Learning Mash-Up on 2/24 

• Jeslin Shahrezaei ILD '15 completed her Executive Education Certificate from Harvard University in February

• Brittany Vital, CNP, ILD '24 joined the AFP Board of Directors + her organization Coal Creek Meals on Wheels celebrates serving one million meals! 

• Kacie Merrick, ILD '21 celebrates 10 years at Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation

• Savannah Wippel, ILD '15 celebrates 15 years at Anchor Center for Blind Children

• Project Angel Heart (shout out: Andrea Pacheco, ILD '21) is a finalist for the 2025 Denver Metro Chamber Business Awards in the “Large Nonprofit” Category

Have something to add to the celebration? Email Sarah: ildcolorado@gmail.com.

Discovery Work 

Led by Lauren Wise (ILD ' 20), Philanthropic Advisor, CU Anschutz (left) and Shawna English (ILD '21), Philanthropy Director, Children's Hospital Colorado Foundation (right) 

Lauren and Shawna led a practical workshop-style session to address day-to-day communications with donor prospects that can sometimes feel uncomfortable, awkward, and intimidating for any fundraiser.  Quickly dispelling these common fears, they shared a step-by-step plan for success. Perhaps most reassuring was the stories of folks who they'd reached out to many times via voicemail, text, and email and eventually connected with...in their experience, folks truly are busy and appreciate your persistence!

Blending the art and science of this work, they shared tips to prepare for calls, key things to listen for, as well as ways to engage/re-focus the conversation if needed. The cohort had plenty of time to practice with one another and start to fine-tune their own approaches. Participants really appreciated their sample lists of questions and templates. 

Finally, they discussed disqualifying prospects. While it can be hard to do, there are different frameworks that can help you make this decision. And, just like there are lots of versions of "Yes," there are also different versions of "No." It's not always no--never. 

Thanks to Anchor Center for Blind Children for hosting us! The cohort was able to tour their facility with Savannah Wippel and pose together in front of a very special mural. These beautiful wings were painted by Kelsey Montague, who has also been commissioned by Taylor Swift to add a pair of wings in Nashville. So, we're all a little more closely connected now, right? 

Major Gifts 

Led by Serena Bruzgo, President, Craig Hospital Foundation

Fundamentals ~ Joy of This Work
Know Thyself: Use your strengths and those of your team members.
Love your Donor: Be authentic in sharing your joy and appreciation. Honor your relationship.
Donor Ready Initiatives: Participants received thoughtful questions to ask themselves when considering readiness that can be tailored to each relationship. (i.e. Will this make good business sense to the donor? Will be donor be surprised by the amount, project, or timing?)
Give the Gift of your Time: Map out your time on your calendar and protect the time needed for planning, reporting, research, stewardship, and in-person meetings or events.
Invite with Dignity: Be sure that you and the donor are prepared for the invitation. Throughout your time together, you can identify lots of "little yeses" you've received along the way and leading you towards the invitation.
 
Practical Tips for Portfolio Management
A question we here often in this work and in ILD is, what size should a gift officer's portfolio be? Drawing upon her vast experience, Serena developed a process for determining portfolio size. She considers the weekly, monthly, and annual time she will need to spend with each donor and time required for other internal/external responsibilities from management, to staff meetings, to other types of fundraising and community involvement. Once you have this comprehensive understanding of your time, you will know how many donors you can work with at each engagement level.

Thanks to Craig Hospital Foundation for hosting us! This semester, each course will be hosted by a different nonprofit. Craig Hospital Foundation kicked us off. In the afternoon, we had a special visitor, Dr. Jandel Allen-Davis stopped by to visit with the cohort. She met each of us and shared ways to find hope and inspiration in the weeks ahead. 

The Development Plan & Motivating a Team

Led by Christy Clay (pictured top right), Strategic Planning & Organizational Effectiveness Facilitator, and Jen Darling (pictured bottom right), President & CEO, Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation. Jen is also one of the founders of ILD!

What makes a successful Development Plan?

• Centers your vision/serves as your north star
• Alignment with your organization's strategic plan
• Buy-in from each team, department, manager as applicable
• Simple and straight-forward approach where priorities are clear
• Easy-to-use, living document: refresh your plan every year
• Over planning can exhaust leaders and teams! A great plan can be a single page.

What if my office doesn't have a Development Plan?

• You can make your own personal plan and work through it in the same way
• This is a great way for you to track your accomplishments and demonstrate your understanding of your organization and your role on the team
• An annual review of your job description (and those on your team) can provide a great way to stay on track and be sure that your description aligns with the organization's vision and key priorities

Working your plan & managing your schedule

• What if something feels off?
  Pause to care. Make decisions calmly. Listen to your gut.
  Accept that some days things have to go from great to good--this is temporary
• Block time on your calendar for the internal tasks and check-ins you'll need to meet your goals
• Be transparent with your team
• Be accountable to yourself and your team. Revisit the plan and your metrics during regular meetings.

Celebrations

• ILD friend and 2024 Graduation Speaker Lauren Y. Casteel received the National Philanthropy Day in Colorado Lifetime Acheivement Award, October 2024
  ILD Faculty Member, Christy Clay, wrote a book! Find Grace in the Workplace on Amazon or contact her for details
• Gaby Garayar, ILD '23 was selected to join the Mesa County Leadership Program this month
• Brittny Wilson, ILD '16, presented "Hiring: The Hidden Costs of Staff Turnover and How to Hire Right the First Time" at Rocky Mountain Philanthropy Days this fall

• Sue Samaniego, ILD '20 received the CASE Steward Standards Certification from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education

Alumni

Congratulations to you on your new positions! 

• Katy Anderson, ILD '18 was promoted to Deputy Executive Director at the Denver Public Library Friends Foundation
• Asha Holsopple, ILD '19 is now Executive Director of Development - STEM at University of Denver 
• Sarah James, ILD '24 is now Director of Donor Funds & Gift Planning at Rose Community Foundation
• Rebekah Mitchell, ILD '19, became CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Children's Shelter in May 2024
• Lakeasha Smith, ILD '24 was promoted to Vice President, Marketing & Communications at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado in October

ILD Volunteer Community

Congratulations to you on your new positions! 

• MENTOR Tess Richey, CFRE is the new Chief Philanthropy Officer for Vote Solar
• FACULTY MEMBER Erin Wenzel, CFRE is the new Senior Associate Director of Major Gifts at National Jewish Health

Data and Program Evaluations for Nonprofit Fundraisers

Led by Paul Collier, Director, Corona Insights 

This session is new to the ILD schedule in its second year. We were pleased to offer it in the fall to help inform participant's Capstone project research plans. The cohort's familiarity with data and program evaluation varied from basic to more advanced with a few folks having a pretty deep background from work in marketing. Many have other staff in their organizations who focus on data and evaluation. 

Highlights

• Ethics and data collection: historically, data collection has focused on the interests and questions of more powerful groups. Data has the power to advance good or perpetuate harm. It is rarely neutral. 
• A simple process for designing your data collection process: 1. Begin intentionally 2. Draft questions 3. Order questions 4. Test 5. Provide context 
• When crafting questions, avoid Yes/No answers. Ask for specific stories and examples. Please the most critical questions to the beginning or middle.
• Visualizing your Data: There are many ways to do this but keep in mind that it doesn't have to be complicated. Sometimes a simple text table is very effective. 
• Book recommendations: The Functional Art, by Alberto Cairo; Storytelling with Data, by Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic; Envisioning Information, by Edward Tufte.

Led by Andrea Pacheco, ILD '20, Chief Development Officer, Project Angel Heart 

The Community-Centric Fundraising (CCF) movement began with the work of Vu Le and his colleagues in the Northwest in 2015. Today, the movement has spread across with country with local chapters popping up, including one right here in Colorado. CCF is grounded in 10 principles with a central focus on race, equity, and social justice. Since the movement began, they've learned that when organizations continue to center these values, greater retention of BIPOC fundraisers follows.

Key Questions to Consider

1. Are you aware of the power dynamics and imbalances that exist within your organization and your community?


2. Donor-first language is pervasive. Do your communications encourage the "savior myth" that centers the donor as the superhero? How does this approach reinforce or impact power imbalances?


3. Do we value time equally as money?

4. How could your communications reflect that you equally value all members of your community?

If you're just getting started with these principles, remember that everyone has ability within themselves to start to make change. If you were able to make a 15% shift, what would that look like? It might include changing the images you use or way you offer tours to avoid poverty tourism, or shifting from "you" to "we" language, or publicly supporting social justice movements and denouncing acts of hatred.

Something to consider from class discussion: When using AI, are you considering implicit bias that may be present when looking for racial, cultural, or diverse content? 

Engaging Donors of Color

Led by Renee Ferrufino, ILD '16, Vice President of Development, The Women's Foundation of Colorado

To engage with donors of color and build meaningful relationships, organizations must show a commitment to understanding different cultures and their unique values around giving. For example, many diverse donors give to houses of worship or religious groups that play an integral role in their lives and their communities. You may also learn that these donors value and give to organizations that focus specifically on their own race or ethnic group as well universities or educational programs providing opportunities to first-generation college students.

Build authentic relationships with your donors of color and create an inclusive culture among your board of directors to encourage these donors to take leadership roles. In its June 2021 report on board composition and practices, Board Source noted that 78% of board members in its survey sample were white. Similarly, a recent survey by the Center for Effective Philanthropy found that of 218 foundations that responded, more than half (57%) had fewer than 25% people of color representation on their board. Yet, research shows that organizations with more BIPOC leaders on their boards express a stronger commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion internally and to racial justice being incorporated as a programmatic priority externally.

What can you do? How do you "walk the talk"?

• Let the community drive your program choices and seek donors who align with these needs and your mission.
• Use tools like "Awake Awoke To Work" from the Kresge Foundation.
• Allocate the time and resources needed to be successful.
• Transition your leadership from the mindset that this work can be finished. This is forever work.
• Create an organizational action plan.