2019 is off to a busy and exciting start at Fairmount Ventures. Our consulting team’s work to help Philadelphia-region nonprofits grow and thrive is enhanced daily through the support of our outstanding Research Assistants. Among her projects, Sabrina Briggs (Temple University, BA/2019) plays a key role in defining and implementing a range of data analysis, systems enhancement, and capacity-building projects to help Fairmount best fulfill its social impact mission. Rosemary Santos (University of Pennsylvania/BA 2014) excels in developing detailed research profiles that inform a mix of planning and fundraising projects. get to know each, below. MORE

Nicolette Epifani, Associate at Fairmount, comes to work every day committed to making a positive impact on her team and her clients. Her experience working with communities, government, and higher education provide a unique cross-sector perspective that informs her approach to nonprofit consulting and capacity-building. Nicolette earned a B.A. in Sociology from Widener University.  MORE

Gregory A. Davis, Associate, brings to his work at Fairmount a deep focus on social justice and community development, which has been a through-line across his academic and professional experiences. His research- and writing-focused projects draw on his past work in grantwriting and grants management, and in the public sector. Greg holds a B.S. in Community and Regional Development from Temple University. MORE

Over the past 26 years, Fairmount Ventures has assisted over 400 nonprofits and raised more than $800,000,000. In so doing, we’ve generated extensive knowledge about what highly successful fundraising efforts have in common. Here’s what we’ve learned, and what we advise clients’ volunteer leadership to consider as you help staff generate more dollars to do more good.

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No summer lull for Fairmount this year – our office is buzzing with new projects and new team members to help advance our work for the nonprofit sector. We’ve been fortunate to spend these months with three hugely talented students assisting with our client services, and our own capacity-building efforts.

Intern Cristina Bermudez (Yale University, BA, Psychology and Economics, Class of 2021) has spent her summer working hand-in-hand with our admin team on operational data analysis, systems-building, and enhancement. Graduate-level Research Assistants Ibrahim Choudhry (University of Pennsylvania, MPA, Fels Institute of Government/MSW, School of Social Policy and Practice, Class of 2018) and Mollie Williamson (University of Pennsylvania, MPA, Fels Institute of Government Class of 2019) deploy their keen research and analytical skills to benefit a range of planning and fundraising project teams. We asked them to share more about their expertise and their experiences working at Fairmount Ventures. MORE

Aria Auerbach, Project Manager, brings a strong focus on planning, organization, and systems-building to her resource development and strategy work at Fairmount. Her client projects benefit from her range of past experience in development, volunteer engagement, and events strategy, including expertise in prospect identification and management. Aria earned her B.A. in Psychology from Wheaton College and her M.B.A. from Drexel University. MORE

We’re back with another in our series of Q+A’s with our team members, showcasing the many passions and personalities behind Fairmount Ventures’ growing team. Margaret Walker, Project Manager, focuses her work at Fairmount on developing personalized fundraising and capital campaign strategies and providing clients with the tools, structure, and support they need to succeed. Her projects build on her extensive past experience managing campaigns and activating volunteer solicitors. Margaret earned her B.A. in Religious Studies from the University of Pennsylvania.

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You can go to school and earn an advanced degree in executive leadership, but no one is formally trained to be a board chair. Nonprofit board chairs are often successful professionals accustomed to playing an active role in driving change, making bold moves, and giving orders in their own organizations – in short, traits that can make for a disastrous board chair.

What, then, are the traits of a great board chair? Here’s what we’ve learned from a review of recent research, as well Fairmount Ventures’ experience over many years of working with hundreds of boards. MORE

We’re fortunate at Fairmount to have such a wide-skilled range of team members contributing to our work. Among them, our graduate-level Research Assistants provide essential research support that informs the recommendations our project consulting teams develop for clients. At the office on any given day around their studies, you’ll find Abigail Dym (University of Pennsylvania, MPA, Fels Institute of Government/MSEd, Graduate School of Education, Class of 2018); Peter Kramer (University of Pennslyvania, MPA, Fels Institute of Government, Class of 2019) and Angie Wang (University of Pennsylvania, Masters of Behavioral and Decision Sciences, May 2018) drawing on their data and analytical skills to benefit a host of planning and fundraising projects.

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