News from the Institute for Leaders in Development

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!

Highlight - Final Thoughts 

Manage/plan from where you are – even if you don’t have a development plan for your org or department, you can still make/manage your own plan

Hold yourself accountable – Find a measurement schedule that works well for you and go back and check in 

Control your time – Am I talking with the people who matter the most? How am I aligning with stakeholders and my direct reports?

Am I meeting your expectations? Ask this question of your team 

BIG VISION – Begin with the end in mind 

Focus and Filter – Be discerning and don’t follow every idea that sounds good. Being grounded in your Yes will help you say No.

Jen and Christy shared the science behind simplifying your work and focusing on your priorities...including living a balanced life and setting boundaries that work for you.

Andrea Pacheco, ILD '20, Vice President of Development, Conservation Colorado, and Amy Daly, ILD '14, Director of Communications, NextFifty Initiative, led the afternoon exploration of Community-Centric Fundraising (CCF) [Pictured right: Andrea (left) and Amy (right)]

• If you are new to CCF, find the 10 principles here
• CCF is based on belief that the communities we serve and benefit must be centered. The national movement is BIPOC-led and ever-evolving. 
• Key ideas include: equally valuing the importance of our donors, volunteers, staff, and board; donors are part of a larger community of support; and moving award from transactional language in communications and relationships with our donors.
• On the foundation side, you'll see a move towards Trust-Based Philanthropy, which is a peer-to-peer funder initiative to address the inherent power imbalances between foundations and nonprofits. At its core, trust-based philanthropy is rooted in a set of values that help advance equity, shift power, and build mutually accountable relationships.

Scott Arthur, Vice Chancellor of Advancement at CU Anschutz [pictured right], led the morning session this month. He inspired the cohort with his vision for transforming organizational culture, metrics, and donor relationships. Scott makes every second count and covers a tremendous amount in just a few hours' time.

• The presentation is centered upon the ideas shared by Jim Hodge. Click here to watch his Ted Talk.
• Start by shifting away from a focus on securing donations. Donors want to invest in community change. Bring them along on that journey. It allows you to focus on the joy of giving.
• Culture matters. Create an environment where everyone feels welcome and valued. Establish trust. Be authentic. Eliminate gossip.
• Embrace benefactor-centric philanthropy – it’s about them, not us. Make your goal or project resonate. Will this be inspiring to the donor? This alignment helps to create a strong relationship.
• Metrics of visits – it’s not the number of times you visit that matters, it’s how deeply you engage a benefactor. Next, establish metrics for gift conversations and opening conversations. Focus on your engagement rate. Metrics should not be all about closing gifts and dollar amounts.

Dr. Ellen Winiarczyk, Director, Nonprofit Studies Program,University of Denver University College [pictured above right]

The class is using the book Strengths-Based Leadership and took the Clifton-Strengths assessment prior to the retreat. Ellen led the class through individual and group activities to help them better understand their profiles and also explore their group profile.

We're happy to share highlights from the day:

• A strengths-based approach is really impactful for teams. A much-loved example is Lessons from Geese, including the importance of standing by each other when one is weak and when one is strong.
• Operating in your "strengths zone," you may find improved: confidence, direction, hope, kindness, and a greater chance of good health outcomes in life. 
• Using this tool can increase employee and team satisfaction.
• Effective leaders surround themselves with the right people and build on each person’s strengths
• Diversifying team members' strengths activates innovation, adaptation, and ability to deal with changes
• Broader groupings of a team’s strengths contribute to overall success

Rebecca Arno, COO, Barton Institute for Community Action [pictured right] led the morning session, which provided an understanding of how the third sector came to be and how the history of charitable giving in the US created the environment we have today. 

• Consider the Role of the Government in Forming/Balancing the Nonprofit Sector
  (1) Regulation of influence (laws allowing and prohibiting lobbying); (2) Taxation (early tax laws spurred the creation of major foundations); (3) Involvement in addressing social issues: Hoover’s “low-cost governance” vs. Roosevelt’s “New Deal"
• Philanthropy isn’t just for the wealthy
  Early examples of mass philanthropy include campaigns to support the Red Cross and other public health campaigns
• Narratives of philanthropy are diverse and inspiring, a few groups to know:
  Black Resilience of Colorado | Latino Community Foundation of Colorado
  Native Americans in Philanthropy

Led by Tucker Wannamaker, CEO, THRIVE IMPACT | Using the book Leading Well from Within by Daniel Friedland, MD, Tucker brings authenticity, research, experience, and humor to a sometimes difficult topic...how do we handle and manage stress as nonprofit philanthropic leaders? 

Key Takeaways

• "If we want to lead well in the world, the first place we need to lead well is inside ourselves." --Daniel Friedland MD 
• The Superpower of Our Generation: Unlocking Collective Wisdom. Uses a new model of leadership based in invitation and inquiry rather than command and control
• People perform at their best and feel safety, belonging, and significance 
• Best to stay in a creative space where research shows high-performance leadership is achieved through strategic focus, authenticity, strong relational skills, concern for the community, and self-awareness 
• Practice mindfulness in a way that works and is impactful for you, ask positive/inquiry-based questions when you hit a roadblock or difficulty

THRIVE IMPACT also hosts a podcast designed for nonprofit leaders. Check it out here.

Resources to Share and Save | Ethics in Philanthropy 

Last week, the Class of 2023 heard from local experts who shared best practices with the class and led them through case studies to practice their ethical decision making.

Thanks to our session leaders:  Amy Stewart, Senior Director, Philanthropic Development, Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation; Lindsey Hersey, Human Resources Director, Dumb Friends League; Josh Zmroczek, CFRE, Director of Development, University of Denver, Sturm College of Law; Erin Osborn, Director, Prospect Research, Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation! 

Key Takeaways

•It's important to have conversations about ethics regularly and to update your policies to ensure that they are legally compliant but also in keeping with your mission and values. 

•You will sometimes be put in a position where you are educating a donor, boss, or community member. Talk about the likelihood of this situation ahead of time so that you are prepared. Having strong policies and great resources at the ready will be helpful. 

•The key ethical concern in DEI data collection is that it must be self-identified/self-disclosed.

We are happy to share links for you to save and share. 

AFP International
AFP Code of Ethical Standards | AFP Donor Bill of Rights 

Colorado Nonprofit Association 
Colorado Nonprofit Association's Principles & Practices in Nonprofit Excellence

ADRP - Association of Donor Relations Professionals 
Ethics Statement

APRA - The American Prospect Research Association
APRA's DEI Data Guide | APRA DUE DILLIGENCE TOOLKIT | Apra Ethics and Compliance Toolkit 

AHP - Association of Healthcare philanthropy 
AHP Professional Standards of Conduct

AASP - Association of Advancement Services Professionals
Statement of Ethics 

Case - Council for Advancement and support of education
Statement of ethics

Independent Sector 
Principles for good governance 

NCN - National Council OF Nonprofits
Ethics and accountability

We're pleased to introduce the talented fundraisers who will join us on a leadership journey that begins this fall and ending in the spring of 2023.

Many thanks to our nominating committee for their outstanding work in identifying these community leaders and putting together a class that reflects the diversity of our state's nonprofit sector.

Interesting facts about this year's class:

• Average years in the nonprofit development field: 6 years
• Participants come from across the state: 70% Denver metro, 5% Western Slope, 5% Southwest Colorado, 11% Boulder, 5% Northern Colorado
• Class represents a range of size in fundraising shops: 11% large (11+ employees), 47% medium (6-10 employees), 41% small (1-5 employees)
• Diversity: 24% of participants represent historically marginalized groups or populations
  

Class Members

Tia (Arnold) Hynes
she/her/hers
Partnership Fulfillment & Events Project Leader
Denver Botanic Gardens, Denver

Gabriela (Gaby) Garayar
she/her/ella
Development Manager, Western Slope
Food Bank of the Rockies, Fruita

Theresa Garcia
she/her/hers
Director of Development
Florence Crittenton Services, Denver

Marsha High III
she/her/hers
Associate Director of Development
University of Colorado, Boulder Leeds School of Business, Boulder

Jeremy Jones
he/him/his
Associate Director of Development
University of Colorado, Boulder

Jenna Kamlet
Associate Director of Development
Make-A-Wish Colorado, Centennial

Sarah Korn
she/her/hers
Development Director
Cobalt, Denver

Leslie (Boersma) LeFever
she/her/hers
Senior Manager, Special Events
Children's Hospital Colorado Foundation, Aurora

Samantha (Sam) Lincoln
she/her/hers
Senior Associate Director, Major Gifts
Colorado School of Mines Foundation, Golden

Jenny Martin
she/her/hers
Development Officer
Denver Public Schools Foundation, Denver

Cristi Meyer
she/her/hers
Corporate Engagement Manager
United Way of Larimer County, Fort Collins

Aimee Quadri-Chavez
she/her/hers
Development Specialist
Hilltop Community Resources, Ridgway

Nina Roumell
she/her/hers
Director of Development
The GrowHaus, Denver

Maggie St.Clair
she/her/hers
Major Gifts Manager
Energy Outreach Colorado, Denver

What a gift it was to be together this May to celebrate the ILD Class of 2022. The fifteen graduates are extremely talented, motivated, and dedicated to their work. It was a joy to watch them grow together over the past year. In spite of ongoing uncertainty in the world, and the many personal and professional twists and turns that a year can bring, they found space to thrive. Well done, graduates!

Faculty, mentors, steering committee members, community partners, friends, and supervisors or CEOs of participants, we are truly grateful to all of you. Each of you contributed in meaningful ways to our success this year.

We are so happy to share highlights from graduation with you below. It was an honor to welcome back Sonya Garcia-Ullibari as our featured speaker. Sonya, a powerful example of leadership in our field, is a long-time friend of this community. She has previously served as a mentor and class guest speaker. Her words of wisdom, hope, and determination left us feeling energized, refreshed, and encouraged. Thank you, Sonya!

(left to right) Top Row: Julia McConnaughey, Kelly Hercher, Garrett Royer, Candice Jones, Sarah Jeno, Leah Bobbey, Jessica Carbone, Dawn Rocky. Front Row: Andrea Tagtow, Julia Liao. Rachel Hutchens, and Andrew Castillo. Not pictured: Astrid Monar, Grace Howard, Sydney Weiss.

We are happy to share words of encouragement and inspiration from Sonya Garcia-Ulibarri, President & CEO, Girls Inc.

"I love fundraisers. You are miracle makers."

Sonya is a champion of grassroots organizations and reminds us of the value and significance of each gift. "Remember, most funds are given by people just like you and I. We have to see everyone’s contributions."

"While our work may be unrecognized, do not be discouraged. Take care of yourself. Stay centered by using a strengths-based approach to your work."

"[Philanthropy is] a core component of building the world as we hope to see it now and in future generations."

The ILD Class of 2022 is back to learning in person, and they kicked off the year in a brand new way, with a two-day retreat that provided students with a background and foundation for integrating community-centered values, diversity, and ethics into their work as development professionals. During the retreat, students examined the historical relationship between tax law, the political climate, and the role or charity and nonprofits in society.

Students were reminded that as we strive for inclusion and equity, a helpful exercise is to look around or review a project and ask yourself, "Who is not included?" or "What perspective is missing from this?"

Empowered with information from the CliftonStrengths platform, students were encouraged to consider their own leadership strengths and the strengths of their teams through the lens of equity, inclusion, and access.

Recommended Viewing: TED TALK- The Danger of a Single Story

Here are a few comments from this year’s class about the retreat:

• "I thought [History of Philanthropy] was a GREAT session. I really appreciated that the discussion included some of the uglier and less inclusive parts of the history. This is something we don't talk about much in the field but is really important for our work going forward."

• "I thought [Clifton Strengths] brought a lot of extra value to the reading/assessment we took beforehand. The group discussions were helpful to really contextualize why the Clifton Strengths assessment is important."

• "[Regarding Leading in Development with an Equity Lens] The power of storytelling through the lens of experience was beneficial."

• "I thought the [Leading in Development with an Equity Lens] session was a great way to explore the real meanings of diversity, equity, and inclusion. I felt like we really dove in past using DEI as a buzzword."

This first-ever retreat was a labor of love, sweat, and tears for Quill Phillips, ILD’s diversity, equity, and inclusion consulting partner; Curriculum Committee members DeAnn Acosta, Allison Krebs ’13, and Gloria Jara Price ’14; and our guest faculty members, Lynette Adams, Rebecca Arno, Martha Bahamón, and Dr. Ellen Winiarczyk  (University of Denver), Allison Krebs (University of Colorado Anschutz), and Kelly Purdy (Boys & Girls Clubs of America).

Based on the class comments, it looks like this will be a new ILD tradition!  

DON’T FORGET! As an ILD alum you are welcome to audit current classes with ILD participants. Click here to view upcoming classes and contact Sarah Stockton to reserve your spot.