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  • Start Here — Hello, my name is …

    Posted by Joshua Alcorn on February 6, 2024 at 7:06 pm

    Introduce yourself to the community. Where are you from? What gets you up and out of bed every morning? What’re you working on that inspires you?

    Click the blue button that says REPLY over there on the right hand side. Once you’re done, scroll down and find another person’s reply to … reply to! Hover over their post and click the reply arrow to write a response.

    Grace replied 2 months ago 11 Members · 36 Replies
  • 36 Replies
  • Marti Thomas

    Member
    February 13, 2024 at 7:07 pm

    Hello, Friends!

    Marti Thomas here (2023 NPSC Leader Board #6!😜). I am a Friendraiser for people with disabilities, empty nester, an AZ snowbird of sorts, and dork at heart! I’m officially the Director of Development at Work Opportunities, just north of Seattle. We support close to 500 adults with disabilities on their employment paths across four counties.

    • Joshua Alcorn

      Administrator
      February 14, 2024 at 9:48 pm

      @MartiThomas you’re the best. I had no idea you spent time in AZ!

    • Lawrence Anderson

      Member
      February 15, 2024 at 5:37 pm

      Hello Marti, I greatly appreciate all who work in the developmental disability field. My hometown has an excellent service provider, The Occupational Center of Central Kansas which offers a wide range of services and has been a great resource partner to our department.

    • Mary R Snyder

      Member
      February 15, 2024 at 7:06 pm

      Whoop!! Number 6 on the leaderboard! Way to go Marti!!

  • Jenny Darlington-Person

    Member
    February 14, 2024 at 4:24 pm

    Hi, My name is Jenny. I am the Executive Director of Music in the Mountains. We are a music organization that provides music education programs in and after school, community chorus, and professional concerts to a community of 60K in the Northern California Sierra Nevada foothills.

    • Joshua Alcorn

      Administrator
      February 14, 2024 at 9:49 pm

      Oh hey @jenny-darlington-person! So glad you are here. You’ll see a LOT from me about music. 🙂

    • Mary R Snyder

      Member
      February 15, 2024 at 7:07 pm

      Hi Jenny — I love what you do! Music and the arts are so important! I love to sing — no one loves to hear me, not even me! But I still crank up the songs and belt them out!!

      I’m excited to hear more about your work!

    • Marti Thomas

      Member
      February 19, 2024 at 10:50 am

      Hi Jenny! It was so great to spend time with you at the farmhouse and learn about you all! It did give me a new appreciation for classical music!

    • Clay Buck

      Member
      February 22, 2024 at 5:31 pm

      Hi, Jenny! My FIRST fundraising gigs were in arts/music education – keep doing that great, important work!!

  • Matt Fulks

    Member
    February 14, 2024 at 5:27 pm

    Hey, friends! Matt here with C You In The Major Leagues, an organization in Kansas City that focuses on mentoring (and all that comes with that) for high school students — largely from under-resourced areas — of the city. Two things get me out of bed every day: wanting to be an example of consistency and hard work for my kids (even though I’m an “empty nester”) and wanting to do all I can for the kids and families we serve.

    Looking forward to getting more involved with this nonprofit community!

    • Joshua Alcorn

      Administrator
      February 14, 2024 at 9:51 pm

      Brother @matt, thank you! Folks, did you know Matt’s got a podcast? Check it out: https://cyouinthemajorleagues.org/blog

      • Matt Fulks

        Member
        February 15, 2024 at 12:52 am

        Thanks, @Josh-Alcorn! I never really mention the C-10 Podcast in this type of setting, but since you did, I’ll throw in a shameless plug for one episode in particular: Episode 142 with our friend @ChrisDavenport. It was such a fun chat, and I think all of you will enjoy it. You can listen wherever you get your pods, or, as Josh mentioned, directly on our website: C-10 Podcast: Chris Davenport, Ep. 142 | C You In The Major Leagues.

        • Chris

          Administrator
          February 15, 2024 at 12:56 am

          I have to agree. It is a very fun podcast. But I may be a little biased. 😜

      • Marti Thomas

        Member
        February 19, 2024 at 10:53 am

        Oh, I didn’t know that! Definitely going to check it out!

    • Mary R Snyder

      Member
      February 15, 2024 at 7:15 pm

      hey Matt — your work sounds amazing. I was a ED for CASA program in my area. It was the hardest work but I loved it!

      Look forward to hearing more and off to check out your podcast!

    • Marti Thomas

      Member
      February 19, 2024 at 10:55 am

      Love your what gets you out of bed—I’m an empty nester too and not sure that I like it! LOL Cant wait to give your podcast a listen!

      • Clay Buck

        Member
        February 22, 2024 at 5:34 pm

        Wait, we’re supposed to get OUT of bed? I’ve been doing this work-from-home thing all wrong, then. (Or maybe very, very right?)

        Can’t wait to tune into the podcast @matt-fulks

        • Joshua Alcorn

          Administrator
          February 23, 2024 at 6:36 am

          oh Clay … your humor gets me every time!

  • Lawrence Anderson

    Member
    February 15, 2024 at 5:31 pm

    Hello everyone! I am the Executive Director of Arts & Humanities for the City of Salina, KS. I’ve been to the NPSC twice and sent our operations and development manager in 2023. We really appreciate the excellent resources and connections provided through NPSC.

    • Joshua Alcorn

      Administrator
      February 15, 2024 at 5:37 pm

      Oh hi @lawrence-anderson! Every time I hear someone is from Salinas, I think about Steinbeck. So glad you’re here.

  • Joshua Alcorn

    Administrator
    February 15, 2024 at 5:46 pm

    I guess at some point I deleted my introduction! So here we go again …

    I’m Josh Alcorn, co-producer of the Conference and @shanon-doolittle‘s partner in crime over at Tactical Thursdays. I’m a reformed political fundraiser whose life was changed when I attended the NPSC in 2018.

    My wife, two kids and I live in Kennett Square, PA. They’re the reason I get out of bed every morning. I’m a competitive distance runner training for my 3rd Boston Marathon (which is what I do when I get out of bed every morning). I’m an avid reader and music nut.

    I love sharing and teaching and learning. I start each work day by writing down 3 things I’m grateful for. You can join me in this practice over here in the Daily Gratitude thread.

  • Mary R Snyder

    Member
    February 15, 2024 at 7:20 pm

    Hello ALL! I’m Mary from Alabama. I use Mary R because you’d be stunned at just how many Mary

    Snyders there are in this world!

    I’m a strategic storytelling coach and event guru. I left a mega nonprofit to do my own thing and serve nonprofits around the globe. I LOVE what I get to do.

    I’m a true Southerner who knows that everyone has a story and every story is important. I can’t give you directions to my house without telling you a few stories about the people and the region.

    I love travel and reading! And I like to speak in movie quotes – and have been known to break out into 70/80s music lyrics as needed.

    I can’t wait to get to know all of you!

    • Michele Marchetti

      Member
      February 16, 2024 at 2:49 pm

      Nice to meet you! What book are you reading right now?

      • Mary R Snyder

        Member
        February 16, 2024 at 3:50 pm

        the Gap & the Gain (nonfiction) – great book on walking in your success instead of focusing on the negative

        The Vanishing Half (fiction) – ooh, so good!

    • Joshua Alcorn

      Administrator
      February 16, 2024 at 2:54 pm

      Friends, @mary-r is one the best storytellers around. Listen to what she says! 🙂

      • Mary R Snyder

        Member
        February 16, 2024 at 3:51 pm

        aww, you’re the BEST!!

  • Michele Marchetti

    Member
    February 16, 2024 at 2:45 pm

    Hi everyone, Happy to be here! My name is Michele Marchetti and I’m the Deputy Director of The Cornucopia Institute. We do a lot of things, and some of it is very wonky, but we also help you survive the grocery store. We help you look beyond the labels to find the best organic food from farms and brands that help heal, rather than harm, the Earth. (Find our Organic Scorecards and Independent Organic Brand List at cornucopia.org.)

    I spend a lot of time thinking about our food system. I’m lucky enough to spend part of my year visiting the best grocery stores and learning from some of the most resilient, dedicated farmers in our country.

    I attended last year’s conference for the first time and loved it. I’ve already learned so much, including how to up my game on LinkedIn. (That platform has propelled my relationships with lapsed, current, and new donors.)

    Thanks for creating this new opportunity to share and grow.

    • Joshua Alcorn

      Administrator
      February 16, 2024 at 2:53 pm

      Welcome @Michele Marchetti! Thank you for the important work you do. I was just talking to my wife about labeling on supplements for my kids the other day. There’s an industry that’s decades behind the organic industry…

      And it’s great to hear you found the Conference helpful! Tania’s LinkedIn session was one of my favorites as well.

      Glad you’re here!

      • Michele Marchetti

        Member
        February 16, 2024 at 4:05 pm

        Yes, I feel so lost when I buy supplements!

        Thanks for the warm welcome. Hope to meet you in NM.

    • Mary R Snyder

      Member
      February 17, 2024 at 2:29 pm

      Hi Michele, your work sounds fascinating. Last year was my first time at NPSC – and I LOVED it!

      Let’s make sure we meet up in NM!!

    • Marti Thomas

      Member
      February 19, 2024 at 10:58 am

      Ooohhh, now I know which video from last year to go watch! Love that you use LI to connect to donors! I’m going to dive into your website later too – I need to learn more!

  • Benjamin Pawson

    Member
    February 22, 2024 at 8:52 am

    Hi, Ben here. I grew up in the town that invented the roundabout / traffic circle / Gyratory(?)… So you are welcome for that.

    I’ve been in Philadelphia since just before the pandemic writing ghost stories and now Helping a storytelling organization (First Person Arts) get more support. So naturally we use stories in our fundraising, walk the walk right?

    But as to how, when, and which story, form whom in what format… I need help! Which is why I’ll be in NM For the NPSTC later this year.

    – Reading: The Stories We live by – Dan P. McAdams

    – Listening: Thandiswa Mazawi – (Thanks NPR tiny Desk for the recco).

    Looking forward to ingesting some inspiration!

    • Joshua Alcorn

      Administrator
      February 22, 2024 at 1:42 pm

      Hey Ben! I’m just down the road in Kennett Square, PA. Philly is such a great town. I think we should petition the NPSC powers that be to host a future conference in Philly.

      And ghost stories? LOVE IT.

  • Grace

    Member
    March 14, 2024 at 12:27 pm

    Hi Everyone! My name is Grace and I am a Donor Engagement Assistant at Vision House by day, and Fundraising and Communications Assistant at Camas Meadows Bible Camp by night!

    I’m a busy bee and not a morning person, so my alarm and a fear of being late to work get me out of bed! Okay, not just that. My driving passion is to help others, especially teens because I remember how hard those years were. I live in the greater Seattle area, so of course hiking is a must, as well as being a lover of reading, crochet, and writing. And if those don’t get me out of bed, the hungry cat sure does!

    Right now I’m revamping the thanking process for my Camp job, which has been so much fun! Before I came on board, the organization was stretched thin, so it’s been cool to put together a donor engagement program and get on top of communications and building connections. I’ve taken advice from lots of the old TT videos as I work to catch up on ones I haven’t seen yet!

    So happy to join this community of fundraisers!

    • Joshua Alcorn

      Administrator
      March 14, 2024 at 1:49 pm

      Ah @grace-crawford it’s so great you’re here. Thanks for introducing yourself — and thanks for the double duty you’re pulling!

      @shanon‘s TT in January was one of the best things I’ve ever seen on Thanking. Such an important skill that too many people take for granted. What’s your favorite camper story to tell donors when you’re thanking them?

      • Grace

        Member
        March 14, 2024 at 1:58 pm

        Right now the favorite is about our mashed potato duck! It’s a running joke up at camp and we’ve included pictures before so donors can share in the silly fun. As things warm up and we get more outdoor activities going we’re going to be sending personalized TY cards with photos from our site too, which we’re really hyped for.

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