Many Thanks, BWF!

Thank You BWF -

I recently accepted a new role that I am very excited about. I will post very soon about it. While I am excited about this new opportunity, it is with mixed feelings that I leave behind a company and a field that I love. Over the last three years, I have been blessed to associate with a group of very talented and immensely intelligent colleagues at BWF. I was recruited by Bruce Flessner and Josh Birkholz, two men who rank among the most influential thought leaders in our industry. I'll always be grateful for their invitation to join the firm and for their unflinching support of what we were growing.

BWF is well known in development circles for their deep industry knowledge and an incredibly smart team of consultants. BWF is one of the top international consultancies in fundraising strategy, known for its ability to coach development professionals engaged in multi-billion dollar capital campaigns. Not only is BWF a leader in fundraising best practices, but they are best known for their ability to introduce innovation in the fundraising industry. From prospect research to data analytics and digital fundraising, BWF has consistently bet on visionaries and as a result, established an industry trendsetting "next practice" reputation.

It has been an honor to be a part of the BWF team and to launch their digital service line. I remember the first few months at BWF were very challenging. Very few wanted to buy the vision I was preaching. There were many days I thought I had made a terrible mistake and I'd never turn the corner. Thankfully, as is often the case, a combination of hard work, some brave next practice seekers, and several successful implementations eventually got the flywheel moving and kept me pretty busy.

I have lost track of the number of miles I have flown or the number of cities I have visited in the last three years. I do know that I have been honored to work for many clients mostly in the United States but also a few in Australia and the Middle East. From higher education to health systems to major international non-profits, I have been immensely blessed and personally enriched by all of those I have been asked to assist. The other day I received a wonderful gift from BWF, a framed list of all my clients. It was a wonderful and meaningful parting gift. I am really am proud of these organizations and feel blessed to have played a role in advancing their missions. I will miss all of the talented individuals at these institutions.

Thank You Charitable Sector -

While I am leaving the nonprofit sector for the private sector, I will be forever grateful for the lessons I have learned and the people I have met. I am grateful for philanthropy. I am grateful to have played a role in facilitating generosity, given freely to benefit others. Billions of dollars each year are voluntarily contributed to those in need.

I started my career as a gift officer for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was thrilling to be in the home of someone considering making a significant gift. That gift represented their passion, their better side, and their aspirations for a better world. I learned that many of those with substantial means search for a cause with a big vision - somewhere that is attempting to cure problems at the source. They are visionary and holistic problem solvers. They don't nibble around the edges. This world needs the wealthy, especially those inclined towards the welfare of others. We need more holistic problem solvers with the capacity to make change a reality.

For a short period of time, I was also blessed to be around corporate philanthropy - mostly for Brigham Young University. I came to see that corporate philanthropy is simply good business and is exactly what successful companies do. Yes, that means monetary gifts to the nonprofit sector, but it also means a relentless focus on solving customer problems with great products and services. Sustainable business is rooted in philanthropy - the care of others. Greed in business is optional and often counterproductive to long term viability.

As my career progressed I was drawn to the intersection of analytics, digital, marketing, strategy, and major gift philanthropy. I remember my first "viral" fundraising campaign for victims of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. We reached many millions of individuals around the world and uncovered these super-activators that would eventually be called "Influencers," or "Influencer marketing." I learned that when you marry technology, good analytics, great content, and a smart strategy with humanity's inclination to be generous, magic happens. I also learned that those with significant online influence were a lot like a traditional major donor, they could mobilize significant resources via their network. Ultimately, I went on to joined BWF and have had three fantastic years working with some of the most amazing people and organizations on this planet. The campaigns, tech, data, strategies, and revenue I have seen are only surpassed by the people making it happen - the fundraising architects and donors. To all those organizations I have either worked for or consulted with, I thank you. You have made a tremendous impact on me and you are making a huge impact on the world.