From Small Town Girl To Big City Fundraising And The Story Of Why Working At Blackbaud – And With You - Was Meant To Be
Published
As a strategic fundraising consultant with Blackbaud Target Analytics®, I have a distinct pleasure of helping hundreds (if not thousands) of organizations use data and analytics to raise more money for mission funding. I’m convinced it’s no accident that I’m here - at this place -at this time. In fact, from the age of 12, when my family moved from Peoria, Illinois to the quaint tourist town of Estes Park, Colorado (gateway city to Rocky Mountain National Park and home of the famous red-roofed white hotel in both The Shining and Dumb and Dumber) I’ve been preparing for this role.
Since, my early teens, I’ve met or worked alongside people from every walk of life - from next door and from around the world. Whether for a moment or a day, for a week or a month, our time together was unique and interesting – but it was always limited. At the end of summer – tourists gone – we too moved along. We went back to home towns, or into college dorms, or back to life in a land so foreign in my mind that not even pictures could fill in the blanks of our differences.
For me, life in my 20s was a whirlwind time. First there was college and then law school, then the practice of law filled with thrills of victorious spellbound moments in court, to disappointment and lack of fulfillment in a career I had romanticized but now could not bear to continue on with. With a pinch of luck, a dollop of happenstance and the caring hands of a former boss/friend, I left the day-to-day practice of law and was lovingly placed into a roll of FUNDRAISER - annual fund manager - at a law school in the largest city I had never hoped to explore!
For 25 years, I honed the skills I had so unknowingly developed back in middle school and high school, back in my adopted home town in the mountains of Colorado – molding those skills into changing the world while also changing myself. One law school, two national disease-related organizations a public broadcasting network, 2 captial campaigns and several decades of planned gifts later, I can now look back and see that my purpose in life had been developing since childhood. The strange and winding course my life had taken had brought me inevitably here - had brought me to you – people I adore and revere and support through my work.
Thirteen years, later, I still thank my lucky stars each day that my life is so deeply enriched. Every morning, when I turn on the computer and look at my appointments, I find myself, still in wonder, still in awe at the privilege I have been granted - spending time in service to those of you that serve.
I work at Blackbaud to help you. It’s not only a role and a vocation, it’s a passion.
If we haven’t spoken in a while, please forgive me - like you, I’ve been busy! But maybe we can take a quick break and check-in with each other – catch-up and talk about old times. I sincerely want to hear about your life and your travels and the successes you’ve had with your Target Analytics project. I even want to hear about those things you feel could have gone better. Like old friends, we’ve got so much in common – a past place where we once spent time together – a future friendship to look forward to – a continued common mission to use data and analytics to serve our community through the delivery of important services.
If you haven’t used available consulting hours from your Target Analytics project – use them! I want to catch-up! If you need more consulting hours to move forward, ask! If your project-end is approaching and the next cycle is starting – get excited! We are!
I can say with confidence that my colleagues feel the same. If you haven’t connected with your strategic fundraising consultant at Target Analytics in a while, we’d like to hear from you and continue to serve. We want you to get the most from your project and sometimes that doesn’t happen right from the start – sometimes it takes a bit more time. You’re busy! We know, but when you’re ready, we’re easy to find…. our email is firstname.lastname@blackbaud.com (insert your consultant’s name). As an alternative, you can find us at our upcoming bbcon conference or seek us out at APRA or AFP or NACGP or any other fundraising acronymed conference you’re attending. Someone from Blackbaud is surely there! We all share a common vision with you: to power an Ecosystem of Good™ that builds a better world.
Reach out and let us show you how this relationship was meant to be!
For me, life in my 20s was a whirlwind time. First there was college and then law school, then the practice of law filled with thrills of victorious spellbound moments in court, to disappointment and lack of fulfillment in a career I had romanticized but now could not bear to continue on with. With a pinch of luck, a dollop of happenstance and the caring hands of a former boss/friend, I left the day-to-day practice of law and was lovingly placed into a roll of FUNDRAISER - annual fund manager - at a law school in the largest city I had never hoped to explore!
For 25 years, I honed the skills I had so unknowingly developed back in middle school and high school, back in my adopted home town in the mountains of Colorado – molding those skills into changing the world while also changing myself. One law school, two national disease-related organizations a public broadcasting network, 2 captial campaigns and several decades of planned gifts later, I can now look back and see that my purpose in life had been developing since childhood. The strange and winding course my life had taken had brought me inevitably here - had brought me to you – people I adore and revere and support through my work.
Thirteen years, later, I still thank my lucky stars each day that my life is so deeply enriched. Every morning, when I turn on the computer and look at my appointments, I find myself, still in wonder, still in awe at the privilege I have been granted - spending time in service to those of you that serve.
I work at Blackbaud to help you. It’s not only a role and a vocation, it’s a passion.
If we haven’t spoken in a while, please forgive me - like you, I’ve been busy! But maybe we can take a quick break and check-in with each other – catch-up and talk about old times. I sincerely want to hear about your life and your travels and the successes you’ve had with your Target Analytics project. I even want to hear about those things you feel could have gone better. Like old friends, we’ve got so much in common – a past place where we once spent time together – a future friendship to look forward to – a continued common mission to use data and analytics to serve our community through the delivery of important services.
If you haven’t used available consulting hours from your Target Analytics project – use them! I want to catch-up! If you need more consulting hours to move forward, ask! If your project-end is approaching and the next cycle is starting – get excited! We are!
I can say with confidence that my colleagues feel the same. If you haven’t connected with your strategic fundraising consultant at Target Analytics in a while, we’d like to hear from you and continue to serve. We want you to get the most from your project and sometimes that doesn’t happen right from the start – sometimes it takes a bit more time. You’re busy! We know, but when you’re ready, we’re easy to find…. our email is firstname.lastname@blackbaud.com (insert your consultant’s name). As an alternative, you can find us at our upcoming bbcon conference or seek us out at APRA or AFP or NACGP or any other fundraising acronymed conference you’re attending. Someone from Blackbaud is surely there! We all share a common vision with you: to power an Ecosystem of Good™ that builds a better world.
Reach out and let us show you how this relationship was meant to be!
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ARCHIVED | Blackbaud Target Analytics® Tips and Tricks
09/26/2018 4:52pm EDT
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