Taking the Ick out of the Ask

I'm all about "Taking the Ick out of the Ask."

And I've connected with a bunch of new people these past few months, so here's a bit about me:

🎭 Before embracing a full-time career as a Fundraising Consultant, Coach, Trainer, & Speaker, I spent 16 years ”pounding the pavement” as a theater director in NYC.

In 2005, to supplement my directing career, I started making fundraising phone calls for Manhattan Theatre Club (I wanted to run that theater someday, so it was a perfect fit at that time!).

I got really good, really fast. It felt easy because I was talking to people about my favorite topic: theater.

I ended up raising millions of dollars via these phone call (all in gifts under $3k)

Fast forward to now: and I have over 18 years of experience in fundraising. Plus, I’ve taught dozens non-profit organizations & hundred of individuals to raise over $16M (primarily in donations under $2K).

My “flagship collaboration” is with MCC Theater: I founded their Outbound Fundraising campaign almost 9 years ago & my team of artists-fundraisers now raises over half of their Individual Giving budget every year.
(Also at MCC, I met Sandra Davis, and I'm now a Senior Consultant at the fundraising firm she founded, Donorly).

Some other orgs I’ve work with include: American Composers Forum, Broadway Advocacy Coalition, Broadway Unlocked, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Fort Worth Opera, The Glimmerglass Festival, IAMA Theatre Company, Marin Theatre Company, Mint Theater Company, New York Theatre Workshop, Heritage-O'Neill Theatre (The Heritage-O'Neill Theatre), Page 73 Productions, Signature Theatre Company, & RIP Medical Debt.

Outbound Fundraising = any fundraising engagement that’s initiated by the org/artists.

My background is with phone calls, but I also train & coach non-profit leaders, fundraisers, & boards on how to engage donors in person, on video calls, and through email.

I empower artists, administrators & board members to tap into their creative
superpowers and become skilled, authentic fundraisers. 🦸🏽‍♀️ 🦸 🦸🏿‍♀️

✨ My work boils down to “Taking the Ick out of the Ask”©
I’m shifting fundraising conversations from transactional encounters to relationship-building opportunities. ✨

My fundraising methodology is based on how I led a rehearsal room as a theater director: focusing on what makes each of us unique and engaging.

📣 I love talking about how artists/creatives can make phenomenal fundraisers.

Let’s shift the narrative away from icky tactics like “Always Be Closing” and toward genuine, empowering conversations.

Roll call! Where are my fellow artists, theater folks, & creatives who also fundraise!?