Semi-retired professional fundraiser, Community builder and connector, Pastor to the spiritual but not religious.
I excel at creating and refining fundraising plans, from big picture down to weekly task details.
As a fundraiser, Vera worked at a variety of organizations to improve her hometown of New Orleans. She raised nearly $5 million for Greater New Orleans, Inc., the regional economic development alliance, cultivating relationships with business and civic leaders across the greater New Orleans area. She served as the Development Director of the Young Leadership Council, a young professionals’ service organization, where she produced the popular YLC Wednesday at the Square concert series. She began her nonprofit career at the Contemporary Arts Center, where she won over $1 million in grants to support the rebuilding of the cultural arts community in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. Her undergraduate degree is from Northwestern University in Illinois.
Talk to me before you invest $50,000 in a system that's more - or less - than you need.
I have implemented three separate Raiser's Edge databases, both locally hosted and in the cloud. I have 50+ hours of Raiser's Edge training. Each iteration was customized based on business process, and I am an expert user to help with: - Effective Campaign, Fund, Appeals -- so your reports tell you what you WANT to know - Regular Reporting Schedules -- Build it once, the right way - Data cleaning -- from deduping to standardization -- you're only as good as your data - Integration advice
I've successfully changed careers twice -- and I'm now getting paid to do something I would otherwise do for free. Basically, I'm living the dream. Learn from my mistakes, and let me help you clarify your vision, and drop the things that are holding you back.
After 12 years in the corporate world, I've found my path as a yoga teacher and pastor to the spiritual but not religious. But I'm not woo-woo -- I will cut through all the bullshit excuses that you put in the way of your happiness like a hot knife through butter.