Industry Expert Interviews from AFP Icon
Video transcript:
Alexandra Pittle, Executive Director, Kiran Anjali Project: One thing we forget to do is, if you have a very passionate and dedicated donor, ask them to bring friends to your event. Ask them, “Hey, let’s meet for coffee next week, and I’d love it if you brought a buddy with you.” Your current donors, your current board members, are your biggest advocates.
Jeremy Wells, SVP, Philanthropic Services, St. Paul & Minnesota Foundation: Regardless of which nonprofit you work for, you can’t underestimate the importance of relationships. It’s not just who’s on the list, but if someone walks through that list of people they know, their mind starts working and they start coming up with, “Oh, you know who’s not on this list? These three individuals, as well.”
Leslie Mason, VP, Development and Communications, Willamette Falls Trust: Having a personal relationship with our board, our volunteer board, it’s really crucial for getting out the message of the work we’re doing, but also to bring people in and really be able to create friends and people connected to the work. One of the things we’re really focused on is, how do we harness the power of our community where it’s immediately going to be impacted by our project? But also, use it as a jumping-off point for people in the region, both Pacific Northwest but also the nation, to come and either learn from us or be part of what we’re doing here.