The Business Behind Fundraising Sherry Quam Taylor

Suzy Myers Jackson didn’t expect to have a career in fundraising, but when the opportunity to lead an organization that aligned with her passion for theatre presented itself, she hit the ground running. After 17 years at Opening Act New York, Suzy became the Executive Director of SparkYouth NYC. Now, she’s bringing a refreshing style of tried and true fundraising opportunities to expand opportunities for young people in New York City.
 
What You Will Discover: 
✔️ We all learn from experience, but establishing a process to evaluate and adapt to those experiences can make all the difference for your organization
✔️ Skills you have developed prior to becoming a fundraiser will always come in handy, like theatre!
✔️ Prioritizing relationship building leading up to the event makes a tremendous impact on how successful the event is for your organization
✔️ Relationships held by members of your Board of Directors can bring new energy to your events and lead to future connections
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Suzy Myers Jackson is the Executive Director of SparkYouthNYC, an organization that ignites growth in community-based, youth-centered organizations through a three-pronged model of financial investment (trust-based, multi-year, unrestricted support), capacity building (SparkYouth's unique Cofactor Lab), and peer support (Executive Director Leadership Collective).
Suzy became Executive Director at SparkYouth following 5 years of service on SparkYouth's Board of Directors and 6 years as a SparkYouth grantee.
Suzy’s nonprofit background spans nearly 20 years and encompasses a diverse range of expertise, including: fundraising, board development, nonprofit management, strategic planning, leadership coaching, and program development.
Suzy was the longtime Executive Director of Opening Act, where she grew the organization’s reach from 3 to 57 of NYC’s most high-need public schools and increased revenue by 80 fold. Under her leadership the organization became a leader in Social Emotional Learning outcomes.
Suzy has also been a consultant for such organizations and corporations as Harlem Educational Activities Fund, HBO, the Center for Anti-Violence Education, Youth INC, Brandworkers, STEM From Dance, and INCLUDEnyc. She has developed multiple campaigns and professional development workshops that have been implemented by organizations to raise funds, deepen relationships with key stakeholders, and build a thriving organizational culture.
Suzy received her BFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. She currently lives in Brooklyn with her partner and young sons.
 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzy-myers-jackson-6157419/
Website: https://sparkyouthnyc.org/
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Welcome to the Business Behind Fundraising podcast, where you’ll discover how to raise the kind of money your big vision requires without adding more events, appeals, or grant applications. Learn how to stop blocking overall revenue growth and start attracting investment-level donors with Sherry Quam Taylor.
Sherry Quam Taylor’s unique approach and success combine her background of scaling businesses with her decade-long experience advising nonprofit leadership teams. With out-of-the-box principles and a myth-busting methodology, proven results, and an ability to see solutions to revenue problems that others overlook, her clients regularly add 7-figures of revenue to their bottom line.
If you need a true partner to show you how to fully finance your entire mission, both programs, AND overhead, year after year… You’re in the right place!
 
#nonprofits #podcast

Melissa Hilton uses her diverse background to get the most out of the relationships she holds with her donors. As the Vice President of fundraising efforts for Erie Family Health, a $100M+ FQHC, you have to think outside of the box to not only maintain relationships with donors, but help them understand the most important needs of your organization, and the funds it requires to achieve that. Sherry and Melissa discuss FQHC's, the balancing act of managing your annual fund with a capital campaign, and dive into the details of how your relationships  truly impact your fundraising efforts.
 
What You Will Discover: 
✔️ Fundraising is an opportunity to build relationships and communicate the great work of an organization.
✔️ Outside help, such as consultants and coaches, can provide fresh perspectives and valuable tools for fundraising success.
✔️ Tools like the conversation prompt and the case for support can simplify and enhance fundraising conversations.
✔️ Balancing the annual fund and a capital campaign requires strategic planning and understanding donor preferences.
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Melissa Hilton joined Erie Family Health Centers (Erie) in 2012 and currently leads its fundraising efforts as Vice President, Development and Executive Director, Erie Family Health Foundation. In this capacity, she is responsible for developing and executing strategies to expand governmental and philanthropic support to advance Erie’s mission. A skilled relationship-builder, Ms. Hilton oversees a team of 10 and leads initiatives to deepen philanthropic partnerships to help sustain Erie’s capacity to bring affordable, holistic and exceptional healthcare to more than 88,000 patients—and growing. Earlier in her Erie career, Ms. Hilton also oversaw the Marketing team and grew this function to encompass internal and external communications, advertising and digital marketing, branding and graphic design, and community engagement.
Prior to joining Erie, Ms. Hilton served in roles of increasing responsibility over 16 years at The Field Museum. Most recently, she was Vice President, Board Relations and Senior Director, Institutional Advancement, where she worked in partnership with the Museum President to manage the work of The Field’s 85-member board of trustees and directed planned giving. Her professional experience also includes working as a public finance investment banker, as a legislative assistant and press secretary for a member of Congress, and as press assistant at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Ms. Hilton received a bachelor of arts degree in English from Yale University where she graduated summa cum laude and a master of business administration from the Yale School of Management.
Ms. Hilton is a member of the Advisory Council for GirlForward and serves as a member of the Yale Alumni Fund (YAF) Board of Directors and Co-Chair of YAF Agents for her undergraduate class.
 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-hilton-4632463/
Website: https://www.eriefamilyhealth.org/
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Welcome to the Business Behind Fundraising podcast, where you’ll discover how to raise the kind of money your big vision requires without adding more events, appeals, or grant applications. Learn how to stop blocking overall revenue growth and start attracting investment-level donors with Sherry Quam Taylor.
Sherry Quam Taylor’s unique approach and success combine her background of scaling businesses with her decade-long experience advising nonprofit leadership teams. With out-of-the-box principles and a myth-busting methodology, proven results, and an ability to see solutions to revenue problems that others overlook, her clients regularly add 7-figures of revenue to their bottom line.
If you need a true partner to show you how to fully finance your entire mission, both programs, AND overhead, year after year… You’re in the right place!
 

With over 40 years of experience, Mary Hiland knows what it takes to truly grow your nonprofit. In the ever evolving landscape, relationships have always been the utmost importance, and that includes the relationship with your board of directors. Mary wants to reshape the way we approach these relationships to get the most for your organization.
Mary shares how her journey in the nonprofit sector inspired a passion for supporting executives in their leadership role with their boards. They discuss the responsibility of boards in fundraising, the decision-making process for executive directors, and the transition from a working board to a governing board.
Tune in to 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘉𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘍𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘰𝘥𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘵 — Questions you've always wanted to know about your Board of Directors with Mary Hiland
 
What You Will Discover: 
✔️ Fundraising is a board responsibility.
Your board members should be willing to make a financial contribution to the organization.
 
✔️ Keep your board in the loop.
Providing the right amount of information to board members is crucial. Establish guidelines and have conversations with board members to determine their information needs and preferences.
 
✔️ Set clear financial goals.
Executive directors have some discretion in deviating from the approved budget, but it is important to have clear spending policies to improve communication with your board. 
 
✔️ Get creative with your approach. 
Customize communication to meet the needs of individual board members while also setting boundaries and compromises. 
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Mary Hiland, Ph.D. is a nonprofit governance expert and leadership development consultant dedicated to helping nonprofit leaders cultivate great boards and lead effectively.
Mary has over forty years’ experience in the nonprofit sector – both as an executive and as a board member. She has been consulting and coaching nonprofit leaders for 20 years.
Mary is a speaker, researcher, and a business professor at her local community college. She is author of the #1 international best-seller: Love Your Board! The Executive Directors’ Guide to Discovering the Sources of Nonprofit Board Troubles and What to Do About Them (2021) And Mary is a contributing author to four other nonprofit leadership books.
Mary is the founder and host of the Inspired Nonprofit Leadership podcast: https://www.hilandconsulting.org/podcast-episodes/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryhiland/
Website: https://www.hilandconsulting.org/
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Welcome to the Business Behind Fundraising podcast, where you’ll discover how to raise the kind of money your big vision requires without adding more events, appeals, or grant applications. Learn how to stop blocking overall revenue growth and start attracting investment-level donors with Sherry Quam Taylor.
Sherry Quam Taylor’s unique approach and success combine her background of scaling businesses with her decade-long experience advising nonprofit leadership teams. With out-of-the-box principles and a myth-busting methodology, proven results, and an ability to see solutions to revenue problems that others overlook, her clients regularly add 7-figures of revenue to their bottom line.
If you need a true partner to show you how to fully finance your entire mission, both programs, AND overhead, year after year… You’re in the right place!
#nonprofits #podcast #

Maiya Holliday builds websites that make it easier for good people to do great work. And no, these aren’t just your corporate, run-of-the-mill, cookie cutter websites. These sites are built with accessibility at the forefront, making it easier for everyone to succeed and allowing businesses to reach new customers.
Through her background in international development and nonprofit work, Maiya noticed many organizations lacked functioning websites and a sustainable web presence. As society became more dependent on the internet, many organizations were falling behind, unable to keep up with current trends and spread their mission with the masses.
Maiya took matters into her own hands, teaching herself how to code and develop websites. Eventually, she founded Mangrove, a purpose driven digital design agency. Mangrove finds success in helping conscious companies tell their story in a meaningful way, while also making websites accessible for all to experience.
Tune in to 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘉𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘍𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘰𝘥𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘵 — Creating Accessible, Mission Driven Websites with Maiya Holliday at Mangrove
 
What You Will Discover: 
✔️ Accessibility does not mean sacrifice. It’s possible to create beautiful, high-performing websites that are accessible for all. For example, think of someone who is blind. Can your website cater to that person? Mangrove designs with everyone in mind, whether they are disabled or not, to create a more accessible web and empower customers around the globe.
✔️ Don’t go the cheap route. Like it or not, the world depends on the internet. If you haven’t taken the time to improve your website, you are likely missing out on a large amount of potential customers or donors. Take the time and invest in a website that will not only tell your organization’s story, but makes the customers the hero of the journey, creating a satisfying and memorable experience. 
✔️ B Corps are changing the world. B Corp is a third party certification created by the nonprofit B Lab to identify companies that have met high levels of performance, accountability, and transparency in the areas of our environment, community, employees and customers. Mangrove became a certified B Corp in 2016, and they continue to push their standards of excellence to create a lasting impact in the web design industry.
✔️ Don’t be afraid of growth. Mangrove started small in 2009, but it has evolved into an international corporation thanks to Maiya being comfortable with change. Things can happen fast these days, but if you take the time to set goals and evaluate your processes, substantial growth can happen in the blink of an eye, allowing your mission to spread to potential customers or donors around the globe. 

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Maiya Holliday, CEO and Founder of Mangrove Web Development, is a creative leader and collaborator who crafts digital solutions to augment the impact of changemakers. She is a self-taught coder with over a decade of hands-on experience. Maiya aligns folks toward actionable goals that help articulate and communicate their organization’s purpose and impact on the web with people, planet, purpose and equity at the core. She has led over 200 website projects for changemakers and purpose-driven organizations.
Maiya led Mangrove to become a Certified B Corp in 2016, and she has since championed the cause of socially and environmentally conscious businesses deepening their impact. She values working alongside a diverse team of talented people who are passionate about what they do.
A Bay Area native, Maiya now lives in the mountains of Truckee, California with her husband Shaun and little humans Terner and Miles. You might also find her in Oakland or Australia, where she tends to show up on a regular basis.

When Arlene Siller reached a career crossroads, she knew she had a choice: continue trudging through a field that was no longer aligning with her personal values, or take a leap of faith and apply her skills in a completely new industry. She chose the latter and never looked back, entering the world of grant writing for nonprofits. 
Arlene’s research background proved valuable as a grant writer. She had experience securing funds, but now she could help the causes she was passionate about raise the money they needed to fund their mission and strategic vision. She hit the ground running, raising over $35 million in four years for a multi-state organization. In 2019, Arlene expanded her impact by founding Ascend Nonprofit and Business Solutions LLC, helping women and minority owned nonprofits around the country secure essential funding through grants.
Ascend NBS offers so much more than just grant writing services. The group also works with leaders to improve their organizations strategic vision and workflow, allowing the grant writing process to blossom to new heights. Now, Arlene wants to help you secure the funding your organization needs to take that next step in your overall growth.
Tune in to 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘉𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘍𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘰𝘥𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘵 — 
 
What You Will Discover: 
✔️We all have transferable skills. Arlene did not start in the nonprofit sector, but her experience researching, writing, and advocating for her work proved vital to her success as a grant writer. No matter where you are coming from or where you are going, take time to identify traits that make you successful in your current position. Those talents will certainly translate to whatever field you find yourself in. 
✔️Don’t settle for less-than-ideal clients. If your clients are not as eager to work with you as you are to work with them, there is a strong chance the partnership will not work out. Use these moments as learning opportunities, both for yourself and for the client. A customer may not realize they could be doing more to hold their end of the bargain, and the results from a symbiotic relationship can greatly increase your revenue growth.
✔️ Create and evolve your processes. Everybody needs a plan, and when times get tough, that plan can be crucial to the success or demise of your vision. When Arlene founded Ascend in 2019, she factored in resources and plans to prepare for when times get tough. These processes helped her coast through the 2020 pandemic, with a little tweaking here and there. When other businesses crumbled, hers ascended, all because her strategic plan gave her buffer room for tough times.
✔️ Diversify your revenue streams. Get creative in where you look for grants, and if you feel like you’re hitting a wall, don’t be afraid to partner with and learn from other organizations seeking the same funding. We are all trying to improve our world, and sometimes teamwork is the key to doing that. This can apply to our personal ventures as well. When Arlene wanted to connect with clients who could not afford the full scope of her services, she created online courses that taught the same skills while not requiring a total financial commitment. She quickly began reaping the rewards.
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Dr. Arlene Siller is an accomplished grant writing expert with a passion for democratizing grant funding. Her company, Ascend Nonprofit & Business Solutions (NBS) LLC, helps fundraising organizations improve their grant writing skills and secure funding for their missions. With over 29 years of experience in securing multimillion-dollar grants, she has built a reputation as an expert in her field. In 2020 she expanded her business, creating Grant Yourself Success® (GYS), the training arm of Ascend NBS. GYS offers co

Bofta Yimam has quite the story. After an award winning career in television journalism, where she was always on the move, Bofta felt called to shift gears and apply her skills in a new field. That’s when she created StoryLede, a minority owned, female led marketing agency with the expertise to help businesses and individuals reach their strategic vision. 
Bofta found that too many people were “burying the lede,” or not focusing on the human elements that made their story unique. How could a donor or customer trust you if they didn’t know who you were or what set you apart? With StoryLede’s services, your story becomes essential to your brand, and you are given the tools to communicate that message to the masses consistently and effectively. 
Today, Bofta and her team work with clients around the globe, communicating their organization’s messages through the age-old art of storytelling. The results have been impactful, with some clients tripling their revenue as a result of their newfound brand visibility. Now, Bofta wants to help you overcome any fears you might have and get your vision in front of customers or donors who want to listen.
Tune in to 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘉𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘍𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘰𝘥𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘵 — 
 
What You Will Discover: 
✔️ Don’t let fear hold you back from telling your story. Whether you’re speaking at an event or just posting on LinkedIn, sharing your message can feel scary. What if people don’t listen, or what if they don’t like what you have to say? Worry no more, because if a donor or customer is willing to pay, they’re also willing to hear your organization’s vision. With Bofta’s team of experienced copywriters, the once difficult task of curating your message becomes quick, easy, and fun. 
✔️ Leverage your personal brand. Behind every great marketing campaign is a story that customers or donors can relate to, and what better place to start telling that story than to our own audience. Be it through social media, email, or word of mouth, connect with your donors or customers and allow a personal, curated touchpoint to blossom into a long-term partnership.
✔️ Take time to plan ahead. For some people, writing is a task that can feel mundane or boring, and many wait until the last minute to craft the messages they want to convey to their clients. Start by thinking about the entire quarter ahead. What is the theme you want your audience to learn over that period of time? By planning ahead, you make sure your message is: clear and consistent across the board, being told to the appropriate audience, and giving you more time to focus on the nitty gritty of the business when the customers start calling.
✔️ Your audience will find you. You just have to make that possible. If you’re not communicating your message through various channels, how will customers know you’re there? By following a clear and consistent marketing plan, the likelihood of a new customer hearing your organization’s story increases exponentially. Eventually, things that once felt impossible become possible because you have a story to tell, and there are plenty of people out there who want to hear it. 
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Bofta Yimam is an Entrepreneur, Emmy® & Edward R. Murrow Award-Winning Journalist, International Speaker and the Founder of StoryLede®. Bofta is the first Ethiopian-American newscaster to receive an Emmy award and a sought-after speaker who has spoken to distinguished audiences in London, Africa, and across the U.S. After working as a TV Anchor/Reporter, Bofta took her passion for storytelling and empowerment to help business owners become dynamic marketing magnets. She is certified as a Women-Owned Business (WBENC) and Minority Business Enterprise (NMSDC).  Bofta is also part o