Young Founder Interview: Peter Deitz

I'm happy to present the latest in FLiP's series of young founder interviews. Peter Deitz created Social Actions, an organization which helps individuals and organizations use social media to plan, implement, and support peer-to-peer social change campaigns so that grassroots solutions to local and global problems can flourish. Peter also writes a blog, About Micro-Philanthropy, to highlight the leaders in the social sector. What's micro-philanthropy? How do you go about becoming a consultant in your 20's? FLiPs, I'm happy to introduce Peter Deitz: 

Future Leaders in Philanthropy (FLiP): Thanks for taking the time to speak with FLiP! Let’s start with some basics. Where did you go to school? How did you get involved with the social sector?

Peter Deitz (PD): First, thank you for this opportunity to talk about my work with the FLiP community.  I’m always looking for like-minded souls.  People who are interested in Social Actions can friend me on Facebook.  My profile is listed on the FLiP Facebook Group.

My path to the social sector is pretty direct.  I graduated from McGill University in 2001 with a B.A. in history and then went on to get a Masters in history from The University of Toronto in 2003.  When I graduated the second time, I was ready to leave academics behind and throw myself into the so-called real world. 

My time in Canada, my studies of history, my experiences with Quakers, and current events at the time had all led me to pursue a career in doing something good for the world.   Entering the private sector was never an option.

When I started applying for jobs in New York, Washington, Toronto, and Montreal, I found that I was not alone in the pursuit of meaningful work.  A Bachelor of Arts and a Masters in history are common currency in our field.  I needed something to distinguish myself.  As a closet nerd, I had developed a decent sense of interface design and could program my way through a basic website.  I started applying for web manager and IT jobs for nonprofits. 

Eventually, I found my way to a full-time job in New York City as a technical consultant on several human rights and global governance projects.  The work was great.  The people were great.  For the first time, I felt like I was making a difference.  But after two years, I wanted to move back to Canada and launch my own project.

FLiP: What is Social Actions? How old were you when you launched it?

PD: As I was leaving New York City, my colleagues asked me what I would do next.  I responded tongue-in-cheek by saying, “I’m going to devote myself to philanthropy.”  I wasn’t joking.  Within three months, I starting publishing articles on something called “micro-philanthropy” and had launched a project called “First-of-its-kind.”

In hindsight, the name First-of-its-kind was a placeholder as I clarified the way in which I wanted to shake up the world of philanthropy.  My goal was to do something totally original that would encourage more people of my generation to become philanthropic.

By August 2007, at 28 years old, I had developed a clearer vision of how First-of-its-kind could evolve into something truly useful.  I revamped the site and changed the name to Social Actions.  Today, Social Actions is a search engine of peer-to-peer social change campaigns and a training resource for individuals, organizations, and foundations that want to use social media to create social change.   

My project pulls the latest giving and do-gooder opportunities from 14 social action platforms, ranging from Kiva.org’s community of micro-finance lenders to GiveMeaning’s platform for group fundraising.  A social action platform is a website or online tool that allows individuals to use social media (i.e., email, video, images, social networks, and widgets) to raise money and support for specific projects.   

As the number of social action platforms grows, Social Actions is positioned to be the go-to place for finding opportunities to engage from across the sector and learning how to create peer-to-peer social change campaigns.

Through the blog on Social Actions, called About Micro-Philanthropy, I post articles for individuals on how to use social media and social action platforms to start fundraising and do-gooder projects of their own.  For nonprofits and foundations, I write articles and offer consulting on how to leverage the resources and passions of supporters.

FLiP: As a young founder, what kinds of challenges did you run into?

Meet-A-FLiP: Jessyca Dudley

As a continuation to our "young founder" series, I asked the Founder of The Building Fund, Jessyca Dudley, if she would talk to us about fundraising at her organization.  Not surprisingly, fundraising comprises the vast majority of her time. So, attention all FLiPs out there thinking of founding a non-profit:  You will spend the bulk of your time raising money, and not really enough time fulfilling your mission. It's a tough reality, but if you ever want to start a non-profit, you need to spend time learning the ins and outs of fundraising. We'll see you at our next event!

Future Leaders in Philanthropy (FLiP): Tell me about yourself. I know you grew up in Chicago…but where did you go to school? How did you wind up running a nonprofit in New York?

Jessyca Dudley (JD): I grew up in Chicago and went the Francis W. Parker School. It’s a pre-K through 12 school where I spent 14 years and have returned often in connection to The Building Fund.

In 2004, I spent two months as a volunteer teacher in Ghana, West Africa at the Tuskegee International School. On my first day at the school I was struck by the condition of the classrooms. The walls were bare, the floors were made of dirt, there were barely enough seats for the students, barely enough classrooms, no running water and the only books were the government-issued workbooks that all students in Ghana receive. There were no toys in the preschoolers’ rooms, no reading books or posters or any of the things that I had grown so used to seeing in every classroom that I have ever been in. My students were facing great adversity and, in spite of this, they are still some of the most interesting and brightest children I have ever met.

Upon returning home, I knew that there was more I could do than just volunteer at the school. After months of research and phone calls, I began work on founding what became, in 2004, The Building Fund. As a charitable foundation, The Building Fund works to create and sustain opportunities in education by ensuring that resources in the form of classes, schools, scholarships, volunteer opportunities and educational funding are available to as many children as the foundation is capable of reaching. 

Currently the Fund is working to complete construction of the Tuskegee International School and provide scholarships for its orphaned and needy students, fund additional teacher training and provide opportunities for volunteers to work with the students and teachers at the school. In a few weeks we will also be adopting a second school and working with them to build a library.

Although I founded the nonprofit in Chicago, I have a strong base of support here in New York and so we hold fundraisers and have a number of board members from the area.

FLiP: How much of your time do you spend working on Fundraising?

JD: The majority of the work that we do is fundraising as we are not currently supported by grants. I would estimate that as a board 70% of our work is fundraising and that personally 80 to 85% of my work is fundraising.

FLiP: Have you had fundraising success so far? What has worked well for you?

JD: We have had great success in fundraising in two areas. The first is individual giving where we have been able to cultivate personal relationships on behalf of the organization that have turned into annual giving and long-term fundraising opportunities. The second successful area has been our event based fundraisers. We have had great success with our events because we have been able to have very low overhead by having space, food, silent auction items, etc. donated to all of our events. We have also had events hosted by some of the partners that we made through individual giving that have allowed us to donate 100% of the proceeds from the event directly to the school that we work with.

FLiP: In the next 12 months, what are your plans for fundraising?

JD: It’s a five-part plan:

1. Raise funds for our new website through online solicitation letters;
2. Raise approximately $8,000 for the construction of a new library through partnership and individual giving;
3. Through our partnership with the 6 Friends organization, co-hosting a private fundraiser in Chicago that will help to build a computer lab;
4. Hosting our 2nd annual NYC fundraiser, and our 2nd annual Tuskegee Trot (a sponsored walk/run) in Chicago at the Parker School; and
5. Hosting a 10 day trip to Ghana to visit the two schools that we work with as well as bringing supplies to our schools.

Meet-A-FLiP: Craig Teal

Craig Teal, fresh from college, landed a job as a Development Administrative Assistant at one of my favorite foundations. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History - yes, I'm a dork, I like American History Foundations. A lot of Gilder Lehrman's work is done via the internet, and as such I think their online giving program has more potential than almost any comparable organization. Craig's got a big job ahead of him, I'm sure FLiP will check in again soon.

Future Leaders in Philanthropy (FLiP): Tell us a little about your background. Where did you go to school, what did you major in, and how did you come to be involved in philanthropy?

Craig Teal (CT): This past spring, I graduated from Fordham University with a double major in History and International Political Economy. College was an enormous period of growth, exposing me to a lot of circumstances and opportunities that I became intimately involved with. Two programs in particular I invested my time with: an after-school/Saturday program for local school children and an international service program where I traveled to the Navajo Nation in Utah and to the country of Romania. With each program we had to raise funds in order to participate and I had the responsibility to achieve our goals financially. There is no doubt, one must be intimately connected with one’s fundraising aspirations for success.

During college I interned at two nonprofit organizations that got me interested in the field and provided me with some great experience. For over a year I worked at Kids In Distressed Situations, Inc., truly an amazing organization that because its small staff afforded me with some great hands-on experience. My second internship was in the development office at the EastWest Institute. It is here that I was introduced to fundraising software and the world of grantmaking.

FLiP: What is your job like? What are the day-to-day responsibilities?

CT: As Development Administrative Assistant for the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History in New York City, I am surrounded by some very experienced people thus making everyday a tremendous opportunity to learn. Most of my time is spent between the computer screen and the file cabinet. Not only maintaining electronic and hard-copy files and tracking donors, I also research prospective donors and am beginning to work on grant proposals. Soon I will be compiling reports for our present donors charting our progress.

FLiP: What is one of the best aspects of working at The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History?

CT: I know that you are going to think this is a lie, but my boss. She probably would not even want me to call her that, but she has an amazing wealth of knowledge. She calls herself a seasoned worker. Moreover, she maintains a high work ethic that, although it is hard to keep up with, is rewarding over time. But I cannot just tell you one. The organization itself, The Gilder Lehrman Institute, is my main interest in this job. We aid schools, teachers and students nationally, improving the educational access that they receive while promoting a love of American History. Also the founders of the Institute inspire me as they care so much for students and teachers.

Meet-A-FLiP: Scott Overdyke

Our resident DC FLiP Julie Fagnani sat down with Scott Overdyke of Razoo.com, an online community of people changing the world one passion at a time.

Future Leaders in Philanthropy (FLiP): Tell us a little about yourself - where  you went to school, what you majored in, and the interests that led you to a job in philanthropy.

Scott Overdyke (SO): I’m from Louisiana and grew up in Texas. For undergrad I attended Vanderbilt University, majored in Economics and Political Science, and graduated in 2003. After college, I worked in New Zealand for a few months for an oil service company.

I did the Peace Corps for 2 ½ years in Panama as an agriculture business volunteer. After that I came back to the States, moved to DC and started working for Razoo (where I have been working for a year).

FLiP: Describe your role at your current job.

SO: My job is to talk to nonprofits, spread the Razoo.com network and community, expand business and keep up on trends in philanthropy.

My current role here is to help grow and strengthen the Razoo community by identifying the people and organizations most relevant to the website, providing practical incentives for membership, and finally just serving the needs of our existing users. 

So part of the job is passive - you have to be intimately familiar with your audience and your environment, which entails loads of research.  And the other part is active - seeking out new members, organizations, student groups, companies, and schools with whom we might work or partner.

FLiP: What are some parts of the job you like? What do you dislike?

Meet-A-FLiP: Marisa Lee

(Editor’s Note: Just because Breast Cancer Awareness Month is over doesn’t mean the issue goes away.  We’re happy to present this Meet-A-FLiP about Saving Second Base in, yes, November!)

Marisa Lee is an inspiration – and not just to me.  When her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005, she was not content to sit idle and set about starting Saving Second Base, an organization dedicated to leveraging young professionals (and their funds) to raise money and awareness about breast cancer.  The organization hosts events and participates in other fundraising activities (ultra-marathon, anyone?), sending all funds raised to Susan G. Komen for the Cure affiliated organizations. Below, read all about Marisa’s secret life as an i-banker, how Grey’s Anatomy shaped the organization, and perhaps you’ll be inspired too.

Future Leaders in Philanthropy (FLiP): Tell us a bit about Saving Second Base.  How did you come up with the idea? And once you had the idea, how did you actually create an organization?

Marisa Lee (ML): My mother has been living with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer since May of 2005, and unless someone finds a cure in the near future, the disease will surely claim her life.   Daily, I face her diagnosis and my life decisions are based, in many ways, on the disease.  After a particularly dramatic episode of Grey's Anatomy, and one too many cocktails, I decided that facing the diagnosis on a personal level was not enough; it was my responsibility to do something on a larger scale.

The initial idea was to simply host an event. Essentially, throw a really fun party for a good cause.  Then we got our first substantial donor and realized we had no name to put on the check.  With that (and the support of friends willing to contribute time, money and effort!), Saving Second Base was born. My roommate filed incorporating documents and 501(c)3 forms and we haven’t looked back since.

Our hope is that by spreading awareness about breast cancer at a young age, women and men will know where to go for support and resources if ever faced with a breast cancer diagnosis.

FLiP: Word on the street is that you’re a Banker. True? 

ML: Yes. I work for Brown Brothers Harriman, a small, privately held bank where I specialize in Commodities Finance.

FLiP: How do your two worlds connect with each other?

Meet-A-FLiP: Elizabeth R. Miller

We first met Elizabeth Miller after her great post on Richard Marker's Blog: Wise Philanthropy. Elizabeth is a Program Associate at The Overbrook Foundation, located in New York City. You'll see a lot of more of Elizabeth in the next few months, as we've asked her to tell us, through a series of posts, what it's like to work for a family foundation. The Overbrook Foundation is a family foundation established in 1948 by Frank and Helen Altschul. Its mission is to improve the lives of people by supporting projects that protect human and civil rights, advance the self-sufficiency and well being of individuals and their communities, and conserve the natural environment.

Future Leaders in Philanthropy (FLiP): Tell me a little about your background. Where did you go to school, what did you major in, and how did you come to be involved in philanthropy?

Elizabeth Miller (EM): After a year at the University of Chicago, I transferred to New York University's College of Arts and Sciences, where I majored in Politics, with a minor in Journalism and Mass Communication. After moving to New York I realized that my main academic interests were how the consolidation of mainstream media was affecting the ability of social change organizations to get their messages heard. While I was in college, I interned at Fenton Communications, a large public interest communications firm, and MediaChannel.org, a website concerned with the political, cultural and social impacts of the media, large and small. These two experiences introduced me to the world of contemporary media (the good, the bad, and the ugly) and convinced me that it was a field to be further explored.

Landing at Overbrook happened by chance. I heard about an available internship here/there through Free Press, a partner organization of MediaChannel.org. Overbrook was interested in hiring someone with a background in media to help them prepare for a fall Board of Directors' retreat that would focus on media, both as a program area and as a tool that was useful across the range of its Environment and Human Rights Grantees. I applied and got the position. I came to Overbrook in June of 2004 to help them prepare for that retreat and stayed on through my senior year at NYU working 15 hours a week. When I graduated, I was offered a full-time position as a Program Assistant (now Program Associate) and I've been here ever since.

FLiP: What is your job like? What are the day-to-day responsibilities?

EM: Overbrook is a small family foundation with only five other staff members. This means that my day-to-day work can vary. On a daily basis, I provide ongoing support in the development of grants and program management, including conducting background research on prospective grantees, along with reviewing and assessing active proposals. My work focuses particularly on the identification, recommendation and administration of the Foundation's media-focused grants, although I often assist in other areas of the Foundation's grantmaking. I also produce a Semi-Annual Report on Grants and The Overbrook Foundation Quarterly Newsletter which we distribute to our grantees, friends of the Foundation, and post on our website. In the fall, I also work to coordinate and implement programs at the Foundation's Annual Fall Retreat. I assist the President in preparing docket materials and developing agendas for the Board of Directors and Committee meetings.

Meet-A-FLiP: Mysterious M

The author of one of my favorite philanthropy blogs, Mysterious M, devotes her blog to describing her life inside a major independent private foundation. For fundraisers, her blog is a rare opportunity to see how the other half lives. After you write that proposal, where does it go? Who's reading it, and what is there job like?  For the grantmakers, her blog gives you a chance to share some of your key experiences giving money away. M's mantra is, "giving away money ain't easy". You think it's easy? Here are some sample quotes from four different posts:

• Every Program Officer is haunted. By piles. Piles of their files. There are always more files assigned than there is time to read. Proposals, Letters of Intent, Compliance Reports, Final Reports, the works.
• Even though your proposal is 120 pages long, I still read it. The whole thing. Copying a paragraph from part of the proposal and then repeating it later on it not advisable.
• Is there a difference if the funder said "we found that your case for funding was not very strong" as opposed to "we found that your case for funding was weak?" How honest should funders be? What language should be used/avoided?
• Never ever insert clip art all throughout your proposal narrative. It is just annoying.

So, in what has become standard FLiP style, we made contact and begged her to submit to an interview. So, while attempting to avoid any conflicts with her secret identity, please enjoy our latest Meet-A-FLiP, and please check in often with Inside Foundations.

Future Leaders in Philanthropy: What kind of work do you do right now? Where in the country are you?

M: I am currently a Program Associate at a large independent private foundation.  My job tasks consist of all kinds of things, generally speaking I support our Program Teams and Program Officers.  I do get to have a small portfolio of a few grants each docket to make recommendations on, plus all the other PA functions.  “What I do” is very amorphous, basically based on what needs doing.

Geographically, I am not located on one of the coasts.

FLiP: Tell me as much about your background as you're willing to share. I'm especially curious about your education; what was your undergraduate major? Do you have a graduate degree?

Meet-A-FLiP: Elizabeth Goldberg

Meet Elizabeth Goldberg, a DC FLiP who practices philanthropy in both her career and her volunteer experiences.  As someone who sees both sides of the donation, Elizabeth talks about her experiences with the Master Chorale of Washington, the Epilepsy Foundation of America, and how life and education have prepared her for where she is today.

Future Leaders in Philanthropy (FLiP): Tell us a little about yourself: where you went to school, what you majored in, and the interests that led you to a job in philanthropy.

Elizabeth Goldberg (EG): I went to Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts where I majored in American Studies and focused my research on race, ethnicity, and performative identity. I also completed coursework at Amherst College and Georgetown University. I have always been inspired by philanthropy and a value impressed upon me by my family growing up to take an active role as a donor in your community.

My career was largely informed, however, by my participation in a summer program that focused on the role of philanthropy and voluntary service in American life. Although my entire work background until that time had been in direct service, I was placed in a development internship at the Washington National Opera. At that point I realized that development really played to my strengths: working with all types of constituencies, focusing on writing and analytical thinking, networking with individuals, and even competition, too. Development is what allows nonprofits to complete the amazing work that they do through programs and services, or performances and education in the case of the arts—and that inspired me.

Meet-A-FLiP: Rosetta Thurman

The Nonprofit Roundtable of Greater Washington brings nonprofit leaders together in order to effectively address issues that affect nonprofits. Their mission is to build the strength, influence, and visibility of the nonprofit sector in the DC area.  The Roundtable’s members include service providers, advocacy organizations, and foundations that share the role of shaping and advancing nonprofits through identifying issues and developing solutions.

Rosetta Thurman, Director of Development and Finance at the Nonprofit Roundtable, manages the fundraising and financial management aspects of the Roundtable.  Previously, she served as Program Assistant for Fair Chance, where she developed hands-on nonprofit capacity building expertise through strengthening youth-focused organizations in Wards 5-8, Washington, DC’s most underserved communities.

Future Leaders in Philanthropy (FLiP): Tell us a little about yourself: where you went to school, what you majored in, and the interests that led you to a job in philanthropy.

Rosetta Thurman (RT): I attended Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond for my undergraduate degree and majored in English.  Afterwards, I moved to DC to get my Master’s degree in Nonprofit Management from Trinity University.  I first got into nonprofit work by volunteering as an English tutor for low-income youth throughout college. Then, through my school’s English department, I continued my work in nonprofits as a grant writer for a small historic preservation organization.  I didn’t know what the heck I was doing, but I loved writing for a cause, and that passion stuck with me. 

FLiP: How has your education helped prepare you for your current roles?

RT: Having an English degree really made the technical parts of nonprofit work pretty easy. Whereas most people hate research writing, I love it, which allows me to handle many different aspects of fundraising.  Also getting a Master’s in Nonprofit Management was invaluable as it took me through the ‘circuit’ of how to manage a nonprofit – top to bottom.  I already had the passion, and my education just allowed me to make myself productive for the nonprofit organizations I’ve worked for.

Meet-A-FLiP: Jenn Goldstone

Future Leaders in Philanthropy (FLiP): Tell me a little about your background – where did you go to school, what did you major in, and where do you work now?

Jenn Goldstone (JG): I went to Columbia College (class of 1995), Columbia University. I majored in English Literature and now work as director of member services at the Jewish Funders Network.

FLiP: How did you get involved in the philanthropic sector? What jobs have you had?

JG: I started in non-profit after ten years in TV as a producer for ABC News. Upon leaving ABC, I interviewed for a number of development jobs, including the Steinhardt Foundation and Outward Bound. As it happened, the VP of Development at Outward Bound's brother is a former political reporter for NBC News, so he "got" how the skills that make a television producer are directly transferable to development work - including research, booking, shoot production, and more obviously, writing. I started there as Director of Institutional Support and then was offered a position upon the consolidation of Outward Bound's regional programs as National Director of Foundation Relations. I took this transitional state to move over to Outward Bound's public school reform program, Expeditionary Learning Schools Outward Bound, as Director of Marketing and Communications.

Following my personal interest in public school reform proved to be a great fit and I loved this job, until I had to make a difficult choice. I have a now 17 month old and at the time of my maternity leave, my job was an hour and a half commute each way, five days a week. I really wanted to be home and work part-time. During my maternity leave, I was randomly contacted by the Steinhardt Foundation, who had held on to my resume from years earlier, about a Director of Development job at a non-profit on whose board their Executive Director sat. Called The Curriculum Initiative, they do Jewish identity building for independent high school students. They had only enough budget to hire for three days a week, and no office space for me. Since I wanted to work part-time from home I parted ways with Outward Bound and entered the Jewish communal world. From here, when it became clear that I needed to go back to work full-time out of the house, I decided to stay in the Jewish world but was eager to move to the foundation side from the development field.

FLiP: I know a lot of our readers either have transitioned from fundraising to grantmaking, or would like to. How has the transition been for you?

Meet-A-FLiP: Trista Harris

It seems like once a week I find a new blog written by a Future Leader in Philanthropy. It's always exciting to see what other FLiPs have to say about our sector. Today's Meet-A-FLiP, Trista Harris, is the author of one of our favorite blogs, New Voices in Philanthropy. Her mission (very FLiP-like) is: "After baby boomers leave the world of professional philanthropy to enjoy lake cabins and to spoil their grandchildren, who will continue the day-to-day struggle for social justice? That’s where we come in."

Future Leaders in Philanthropy (FLiP):What is your background?

Trista Harris (TH): I have been working for nonprofits since I was 15 years old. My first nonprofit job was as a youth sports coach at my local park. From this position I learned that one-on-one relationships are the basis of successful nonprofit work. Since that first job I have worked for local, statewide, national, and international nonprofit organizations doing a variety of positions that all were about improving the capacity of the nonprofit sector to do better work in and for the community. Right before I started at the Saint Paul Foundation I was the Director of Advancement for Portico Healthnet, which is an innovative nonprofit that provides health coverage and health education to uninsured Minnesotans. I led Portico’s fundraising, communications, and evaluation activities to bring this model program’s activities to scale.

I received my Master’s in Public Policy degree from the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute, with a focus on philanthropy and nonprofit effectiveness, and my Bachelor’s degree in sociology from Howard University.

FLiP: How did you come to work in the philanthropic sector?

TH: I knew that I wanted to work on public change issues since my childhood and I thought that I would do this by being the executive director of a nonprofit community center. I really enjoy the synergy that happens when people are brought together because of place and not just by a specific program. But, when I went to graduate school I had a wonderful mentor, the late Dr. William Diaz, who was a former program officer at the Ford Foundation. Learning from him about the broad impact of foundations on the nonprofit sector’s capacity to do good work, I decided that foundation work would give me the landscape perspective of community that I enjoyed so much. He told me that foundation positions were few and far between but that I should prepare myself for the opportunity. I spent the next few years doing that by learning about the grantseeking side of the equation as a fundraiser. During my time as a fundraiser I made connections in the foundation sector and volunteered on a grantmaking committee. Those relationships and experiences are what led to my current position as a program officer at the Saint Paul Foundation.

Established in 1940, The Saint Paul Foundation is the largest community foundation in Minnesota. I provide leadership on the foundation’s initiatives related to civic engagement and philanthropy. I am also responsible for a broad-ranging grantmaking  portfolio which reflects the foundation’s interest in comprehensive solutions to community issues and manage scholarship funds for the foundation. This position has allowed me to use all of the skills that I learned in my previous positions in the sector.

FLiP: What is your blog about? What do you hope it accomplishes?

TH: My blog New Voices of Philanthropy at www.newvoicesofphilanthropy.blogspot.com is about issues of generational change in the philanthropic sector and more broadly trends in philanthropy. We are in a unique period of time where baby boomers are retiring and Gen Xers have made it clear that they are not content with keeping the status quo in the nonprofit or foundation sectors. I believe we are in an important period of rapid evolution in the philanthropic field, which is very significant for a field has been traditionally stagnant (or based on years of history and tradition, depending on your perspective).

This blog has been a great place for new and experienced foundation staff to connect on important issues that will impact the foundation field. It is also a place where nonprofit staff members can add their voices to the conversation about what foundations should become in the next 20 to 30 years.

FLiP: This month, FLiP is asking a range of nonprofit and philanthropy professionals to share the advice they wish someone had given them when they started their careers.  What’s your best advice for our readers?

TH: I wish someone had told me how frustrating it is to push for change on the macro level. When you are tutoring one child, you get to see their progress very quickly and that progress reinforces you to do more. Foundations are making lots of investments in a variety of programs and the change the you see in the overall community is very slow work but where the change happens it is significant.

FLiP: What does the future hold for you?

TH: I am going to continue to write about issues of trends in the philanthropic sector because that is a great passion of mine. In the future I plan to become a foundation CEO and work on social change issues that impact low-income communities and communities of color.

Meet-A-FLiP: Rachel Doyle

This month FLiP is pleased to meet Rachel Doyle, Founder & President of GlamourGals.  The original CosmoGirl! of the Year award winner, Rachel embodies that magazine’s tagline, “Born to Lead.”  Rachel began her nonprofit in high school, grew it as a Cornell undergrad, and now, in her early twenties, she plans to double the size of GlamourGals in the next two years. Check the post below for information about an upcoming GlamourGals event in NYC.

Future Leaders in Philanthropy (FLiP): What is your top tip for someone starting a nonprofit?

Rachel Doyle (RD): Being resourceful is key – we all know you recognized the need, raised the money and figured out a name – now it is time to execute.  My first Advisory Board conference call was held in a broom closet in between classes on the Cornell campus.  My first donation of makeup came from a cold call to a cosmetic company and my first employee was a college intern paid through a scholarship program.   

FLiP: Who have been your biggest supporters?

RD: When I started GG it was really my family – my mom, dad, and brother have been incredible pillars in expanding the organization.  We’ve grown from three volunteers to almost 1,000 in seven states with fifty volunteer chapters.  I definitely could not have done that without them.

FLiP: What is a day or week like for you?

RD: It is a mixture of calls, emails and writing to chapters from my laptop; this week communication is focused on our upcoming event, Glamour in the City.  Depending on the day I can start as early as 6am and work as late as… well…very late.  Working from home, you can just keep working – there is no traffic to beat!  This week I am flying on Thursday evening to West Palm Beach, Florida for a MegaMakeover.  At MegaMakeovers I speak at a youth conference, hold an interactive leadership workshop in the morning, and then in the afternoon the students (100+) blanket the city nursing homes with makeovers! 
FLiP: Tell us more about GlamourGals.

RD: GlamourGals is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that creates compassionate teen leaders through service with the elderly living in nursing homes.  We organize teens to give complimentary facials and makeovers to women living in the homes.

FLiP: When did you start the program and why?

RD: I started the program seven years ago in Commack, NY as a high school sophomore.  I had three volunteers who took part and we had a great time…not to mention lots of press including the New York Times at our first makeover!

Meet-A-FLiP: Marcus Littles

As FLiP continues to explore the issue of diversity in grantmaking, we had the opportunity to meet Marcus Littles. Marcus has over ten years experience working in communities of color as an educator, advocate and grantmaker. We recently talked with Marcus about his career to glean lessons learned for professionals interested in affecting change in communities of color. Through his experience as a program officer for the Ford Foundation and recent work with the Initiative for Regional and Community Transformation at Rutgers University, Marcus provides suggestions for how grantmakers can impact communities of color in a way that strengthens not only the organizations they fund but also the local leadership.

Future Leaders in Philanthropy (FLiP): Tell us a little about yourself, where you went to school, what you majored in, and the interests that led you to a job in philanthropy.

Marcus Littles (ML): I'm from Mobile, Alabama and went to Auburn University and graduated with a degree in Public Relations.  Following graduation, I worked as an Assistant Director of Admissions for a small community college in rural Alabama before attending graduate school at the University of Delaware where I graduated with a Master's Degree in Public Administration, concentrating in Nonprofit Leadership and Community Development.  Following graduate school I went to teach 7th grade in South Africa for six months prior to taking a Presidential Management Internship with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development in DC.

FLiP: What led you to a career in philanthropy?

ML: I had very limited knowledge of the power or significance of the medium of philanthropy as a social change vehicle, but had over my brief career began to ask questions around how change happens, and what are the institutional factors that contribute to changing communities?  Initially I thought community change was dependant on good programs or cool ideas.  However, working in philanthropy helped me understand that community change is more about strong institutions and effective leaders.  Philanthropy is such a powerful venue because it plays the role of enabling community-driven progress, as opposed to trying to create change. Philanthropy helps empower community leaders to implement their own vision for community progress and growth.  While at HUD, I was offered and accepted a position at the Ford Foundation as a Program Associate.  Although I did not know a lot about philanthropy at the time, I did know that Ford Foundation was an institution that was committed to, and well-resourced to affect change in communities. 

Meet-A-FLiP: Nina Sharma West

The Advertising Council’s reach is proven by the general population’s familiarity with its one liners that send a message, e.g. “Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk,” “A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Waste,” “Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires” A private, nonprofit organization, the Ad Council is unique. There is not a singular “tug-at-the-heartstrings” story to tell, rather, donations and sponsorships sustain the Ad Council as it helps other nonprofits promote their messages through the media.

As Assistant Director of Development in Corporate Relations at the Ad Council, Nina Sharma West is responsible for cultivating and building relationships with the financial sector and helping to raise more than $5 million for the Ad Council’s operating expenses. FLiP sat down with Nina recently to discuss her responsibilities at the Ad Council and the path that led her to the organization.

Future Leaders in Philanthropy: What is your educational background? What brought you into the nonprofit sector?

Nina Sharma West: I received my Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature from Hamilton College in Clinton, New York. I recently began graduate classes at NYU’s Wagner School of Public Service. When I graduated from Hamilton, I was unsure of my focus and so my mother, who runs a volunteer center in New Jersey, offered to help me by passing around my resume to her professional contacts. One of my resumes ended up at the at the New York Public Library and I eventually interviewed for and accepted a position as Development Associate for the Conservators and Young Lions programs.

One of my bosses there eventually left to start her own philanthropic consulting firm and was then hired by Carnegie Hall. She contacted me about a position to be filled there, someone was needed to head up the Young Donor program and revamp it. My experience at the New York Public Library gave me the perfect skill set to apply for the opportunity. I spent two years at Carnegie Hall in that capacity, reinvigorating the membership program - the Carnegie Hall Notables - for music enthusiasts in their 20s and 30s.

Meet-a-FLiP: Jillian Nebenfuhr-Marcussen

External Affairs Coordinator
Fels Institute of Government
University of Pennsylvania

Future Leaders in Philanthropy: Let’s start with the basics.  Where are you from, where did you go to school, and what was your major?

Jillian Nebenfuhr-Marcussen: I am originally from the New York/New Jersey area, and received my Bachelor’s degree from St. Joseph’s University in International Relations/Political Science.  I have always been interested in politics and thought that was where my career was headed.  As an undergraduate, however, I interned in a Senatorial office and came to the conclusion that I did not want to be an elected official.  The experience was great, but it really demonstrated to me that politicians have virtually no personal life or time to spend with their families and I didn’t want that for myself. 

I then considered public policy and non-profit work, and interned for the Committee of Seventy, an election reform non-profit.  Following graduation, I did what every Political Science major does and considered law school, but decided to pursue graduate school instead at the Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania.  My graduate program was a refreshing change from my undergraduate work, which was heavily based in theory.  Fels is designed to provide very practical, hands-on knowledge that can be directly applied to the real world. 

FLiP: How did you get involved in the nonprofit sector?

JN: While at Fels, I began interviewing in the non-profit sector and landed a position as an Income Development Coordinator for the American Cancer Society.  I was not specifically looking to do fundraising but found it to be a good fit with my skill set.  At ACS, I was responsible for three major special events (Relay for Life events).  This gave me great exposure to a very centralized non-profit.  I found that I enjoyed special events but since that was all I was doing, I needed to move on to acquire more diverse non-profit experience. 

Meet-A-FLiP: Maureen Flynn

It is my pleasure to profile one of our long time readers today: Maureen Flynn, Program Assistant at the Toshiba America Foundation. We met Maureen back in October at the Summit onPhilanthropy, and we caught up with her again just before the new year. I wanted to talk to her about what her job is like day-to-day, because many FLiPs aspire to work for a corporate or private foundation. If you work in the foundation world, and would like to share your experiences with the FLiP community, e-mail us at flip@onphilanthropy.com! We’d love to chat with you. 

Tell us a little about yourself, where you went to school, what you majored in, and the interests that led you to a job in philanthropy.

I am a 2004 graduate of SUNY Oswego, a medium sized state school located on the shore of Lake Ontario in upstate NY. Minus the absurd amount of snow that we were faced with, I loved every second of my four years there.

In the Fall of 2000, I entered college as an education major but quickly switched to Public Relations and eventually picked up Journalism as well.  I enjoyed the content of my courses and started to plan a future career at a fast paced PR agency in NYC. For extra cash, I took a job as a student caller for my college's Annual Fund Campaign. I spent roughly 9 hours a week calling alumni, parents, and friends of the college asking them for donations. It was during this time that I was first introduced to the idea of Philanthropy and began to understand the importance of the donations made to my college. After a semester working as a caller, I was offered a job working directly with the University Development Staff and I jumped at the opportunity.  For the next three years I was able to learn first hand how an annual fund operates, what it is like to solicit major gifts and how an organization launches a capital campaign. I was fortunate enough to be asked to speak at several donor events about the importance of giving back to Oswego State and because of this I became truly passionate about our cause.   

As much as I enjoyed my job working directly with the development staff, I never took the time to realize the practical skills that I was learning that would eventually lead me to a career working in Philanthropy. After graduation I took a job working at a small PR agency in NJ.  In the first few weeks I learned a tremendous amount about the PR world and because it was a small agency I was able to work in various different areas on various different clients. I really started to enjoy my job but at the end of the day it was lacking those "feel good" emotions that I had at my previous work in the Development Office. After spending the summer at the PR agency I started looking for a new job and seriously considered going back to a college or university setting in either Development or Alumni Relations.

While looking for jobs in higher education I stumbled across the Foundation Center's website and started toying with the idea of working in the nonprofit sector for a more satisfying and self-rewarding career path. When I came across the position as Program Assistant at Toshiba America Foundation it immediately sparked my interest.  I was completely fascinated with the idea of working in Corporate Philanthropy and so I applied right away. A month later I had landed the job.

Meet-A-FLiP: David L. Cohen

David L. Cohen, AICP, the  Director of Development of the North Philadelphia Health System  obtained his executive MBA degree from St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia in 2003. He is the first Director of Development at North Philadelphia Health System in Philadelphia, PA, a community healthcare provider. I spoke with David about his career and experiences in fundraising so far.

Future Leaders in Philanthropy: David, tell us a little about yourself and how you ended up working for the North Philadelphia Health System.

David L. Cohen: I graduated from Emerson College in Boston with a degree in political communications in 1987, followed by a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from the University of Illinois in 1991, and an executive MBA degree from St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia in 2003.  I started work as the first Director of Development at North Philadelphia Health System during June 2006.

Ever since attending a Quaker high school in Philadelphia, where I had a meaningful class on urban development and politics, I have had an interest in working to improve urban environments and working for the common good.

While at Emerson College, during 1986, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to go to California to work on the second gubernatorial campaign of Los Angles Mayor Tom Bradley for six months.  This provided me with valuable real life experience on politics and working with diverse groups of people.  Emerson also provided me with great training on rhetorical theory and on the foundations of critical thinking.

After graduating from Emerson College, I worked one year in Washington DC for the American Foreign Service Association, the federal union for members of the foreign service. After that experience, I went on to receive my master’s degree from the University of Illinois.  Upon returning to the Philadelphia area from Illinois, I started to volunteer for a non-profit community development corporation in downtown Philadelphia that was working to create a business improvement district.

This led to a job at the community development corporation where I worked on a number of urban planning and economic development initiatives.  I subsequently started and ran a number of other non-profit organizations and programs focused on economic development. My executive MBA from St. Joseph’s University provided me with a new skill set and a better understanding of the business environment and how it differs from the non-profit environment.

I view economic development in urban environments as important for three key reasons: it makes a difference in improving the economic and social well being of people who tend to be toward the lower end of the socio-economic scale; it reuses existing resources and infrastructure; and it helps to limit suburban sprawl and the development of farm land.  I became involved in fundraising development as a result of my work in economic development.

Meet-A-FLiP: Alexandra Lee

Alexandra Lee
Development Officer
ConstellationCenter

Alexandra Lee, who graduated from Wellesley College in Massachusetts in 2006, is a Development Officer at the ConstellationCenter in Cambridge, MA, a new performing arts center.  FLiP recently spoke to Alexandra about her corner of the philanthropic world.

Future Leaders in Philanthropy: Tell us a little about yourself, where you went to school, what you majored in, and the interests that led you to a job in philanthropy.

Alexandra Lee: I went to Wellesley College in MA just outside of Boston – and graduated in 2006 with a degree in Political Science, focusing on American and Comparative Politics. During college, I spent one year at the London School of Economics, and studied International History and Government.

Meet-A-FLiP: Carlos Miranda

Although Carlos Miranda majored in Anthropology, it’s not an ethnography he’s completing in the New York Public Library.  Instead, Carlos, an associate manager, deals with individual gifts upwards of $25,000 and, with his team at the library, assures relationships with over a hundred major donors. The funds raised are essential in supporting nearly $295 million in operating costs a year. 

Carlos has an impressive academic resume: he graduated from NYU with a degree in Anthropology (with a focus on international affairs) and completed a master’s at the London School of Economics in Global Economic History.  These credentials may not seem the most straightforward path to institutional development.  “My dad used to ask me if I was going to work at the anthropology factory when I graduated,” Carlos jokes.

Meet-A-FLiP: Nicole Sebastian

Nicole Sebastian is witness to a multitude of personalities and interpersonal dynamics through her work as Manager of Governance at the Robin Hood Foundation, a NYC-based foundation which targets and reduces poverty by funding and partnering with the best community organizations which have the same goal. She works with these funded organizations to improve their governance structures. To Ms. Sebastian, governance sets the foundation of the organization by either strengthening it or hindering its effectiveness.

She begins her work by observing and analyzing the dynamics of an organization’s board. Consultatively, she provides support through governance education, board development and in some cases, board recruitment. As part of this effort, she also works with individuals interested in serving on the boards of Robin Hood-funded organizations and helps match them with the organization that best suits them. “It’s like high-level matchmaking,” she simplified. And with the perfect match, the results are often measurable through the success of the organization.

Meet-A-FLiP: Akira Barclay

Akira Johnson Barclay is Director of Development for The Catalog for Giving of New York City. In addition to those responsibilities, she is also managing the development of the first young leadership group for that organization. Prior to joining the staff at The Catalog in February, Ms. Barclay founded and continues to develop The Foundation Donor Advised Funds (THE FOUNDATION), a philanthropic organization focused on promoting strategic giving to the post-civil rights generation to achieve social change. A skilled and versatile professional, she has spent the last decade working in the nonprofit sector in various positions within fundraising and development. Ms. Barclay has studied nonprofit management at New York University’s George H. Heyman, Jr. Center for Philanthropy and Fundraising and Virginia Commonwealth University’s Nonprofit Management Certificate Program. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Fundamentals of Fundraising Certificate from the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Ms. Barclay is not only respected in her field, but she is setting a perfect example for the FLiP community. She is doing what most of us have been dreaming about for years-- starting her own foundation. After conversations and interactions with philanthropic individuals seeking advice from someone at the same level of understanding and discovering a void, Ms. Barclay set out to provide young philanthropists the opportunity to become more civic-minded individuals by contributing time and funds into organizations that best fit their interests. 

Meet-A-FLiP - Lisa Nappi

Seven years ago, Lisa Nappi, CFRE thought that she would follow in the footsteps of many of her classmates and go into the world of advertising. After graduating from Ithaca College, a sudden sense of clarity changed her mind. The thought of working in Corporate America with minimal personal gratification, and no benefit to her community, was unappealing. By chance, she was offered her first job at Challenge Industries, Inc., an organization which offers vocational services for individuals who are disabled. Her experience at Challenge Industries, which centered on fundraising, changed her life forever. At that moment she was sold on a career in philanthropy. 

Meet A FLiP - Leah Wu

Leah Wu currently serves as Assistant Director of Development at the NYU Stern School of Business. There she provides stewardship to a portfolio of scholarship donors, manages events such as roundtable lunches and alumni receptions, and provides briefings for deans and staff before one-on-one meetings with VIP prospects and donors. Born in 1980 in Litchfield, Connecticut, Leah graduated from Georgetown University in 2002 with a BA in English and Spanish. During her time there, she studied abroad for a year in Sevilla, Spain. For her first job out of college, Leah worked as a Tour Coordinator for Academic Arrangements Abroad, a boutique tour operator.  This provided her the opportunity to lead tours on Caribbean cruises and four tours to Cuba to study the art and architecture of Havana and other cities. In addition to her fundraising position, Leah is completing her Masters in International Education from the NYU Steinhardt School of Education. Her personal interests include music, art and travel.