Deconstructing Development
The Future of Major Gift Fundraising
Tuesday, June 15, 2021
5:00 p.m.
WID Members: $15 | Non-Members: $20
Co-Hosted By:
Yolanda F. Johnson and Carmel Napolitano
Featured Guest:
Deconstructing Development is a special series, developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, to bring the fundraising community direct access to experts in areas key to achieving professional success. Each interview features the chance for the WID community to write in their questions for our experts.
The global pandemic has presented many challenges to major gift fundraisers, amongst them cold-calling, virtual donor visits, and networking. Kathryn Van Sickle, Major Gift Officer at Columbia University and Host of the Development Debrief Podcast, will speak with us about these challenges and make suggestions as to how to transition working from mid- to post-pandemic. Now that many regions in the U.S. are beginning to open up, what is the best way to proceed? Will the process of donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship remain largely the same, or have we learned things from the pandemic which we will incorporate into our post-pandemic work?
Featured Guest
Kathryn Van Sickle, Major Gift Officer, Columbia University and Host of the Development Debrief Podcast
Kathryn Van Sickle is a passionate fundraiser, community builder, and storyteller. Currently, she is a major gift officer at Columbia University, residing in New York City’s Upper West Side. Kathryn is a regional officer representing the University Development team in a central capacity. She is responsible for building and managing a portfolio of major gifts prospects in the northeast region as well as in Philadelphia and Chicago. During her tenure at Columbia, she earned a masters in strategic communications from the School of Professional Studies.
Prior to working at Columbia, Kathryn started her career at her alma mater, Trinity College in Hartford Connecticut. She spent her time there working in the annual fund with the leadership giving society. When she is not raising dollars traveling in her current role, she is recording and editing her podcast The Development Debrief. Each episode of the podcast interviews either a fundraiser, donor, or thought leader in the field. The podcast has had more than 25,000 downloads with guests from all over the country. Outside of development, Kathryn enjoys reading, running, and being creative!
Co-Hosts
Yolanda F. Johnson - President, YFJ Consulting, LLC and President, Women In Development, NY
With more than two decades of experience in the non-profit sector Yolanda F. Johnson has successfully led fundraising operations for a wide range of nonprofit organizations, launching creative event, sponsorship and marketing initiatives that produced new streams of both contributed and earned income. Her fundraising expertise includes securing foundation, corporate, and government funding and cultivating a diverse major gifts portfolio. Yolanda is the President of Women In Development (WID), NY and the President of YFJ Consulting, LLC, which provides fundraising strategy and special event expertise for non-profit community. She is also the founder of Women of Color in Fundraising and Philanthropy (WOC) and Allies in Action Membership Network. Yolanda has had an outstanding career as a performing artist, as a composer, as a producer, as an educator, and she has used her background as a performer to become a sought-after fundraising expert. Yolanda was also recently appointed to the Chronicle of Philanthropy Advisory Committee of national leaders in the non-profit sector. Tying together her life as a successful performing artist and a non-profit leader, she developed All the World's A Stage, a special workshop using performance practice for getting what one wants out of fundraising, philanthropy and life. She presents All the World's A Stage to audiences across the country.
Carmel Napolitano - Vice President, New York Office, Lindauer Global
Carmel is a client-focused executive search/talent acquisition professional focusing on the non-profit and philanthropic sectors. Her search completion rate is above average with candidates staying an average of 6 plus years.
She seeks to guide and advise the philanthropic, nonprofit, and public sectors in recruiting senior level positions working to place executives across the nonprofit spectrum including higher education, advocacy, arts & culture, international NGOs, and donor advised funds. Having over 15 years of experience in executive search, her successful placements include CEO/President/Executive Director/Senior Advancement level searches with leading international, national, and New York area associations and nonprofits.
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