For More Information, Contact:
Abbey Riley
AFP NWO
419-764-4387
Robin Guidera - My career in the world of fundraising began at the Toledo Zoo in 1989. I was a non-traditional college student, working toward a degree in psychology while needing to support my then 4-year-old son. As it happened, the Toledo Zoo needed an Admin Assistant in their Development Department. I had no clue what a Development meant. Within two years I was hooked and throughout the next 29 years at the Zoo, I was afforded many opportunities to grow within the Development Department. I was fortunate enough to have several people I still consider mentors guide me and help me develop skills in the areas of managing donor programs and fundraising events, cultivation and stewardship of individual and corporate gifts, volunteer recruitment and management, and more. Since October of 2018, my role as the Director of Development and Communications at The Cocoon has allowed me to put those skills to use to grow fundraising programming that helps provide no-cost support services to more than 800 survivors of domestic and sexual violence, and their children, each year.
When I joined The Cocoon in October of 2018, I was faced with the challenges that many small non-profits with one-person fundraising shops face. As a very young organization, much of the concentration had been on securing high-dollar, federal grants to support programming, services, and an emergency safe shelter rather than building and stewarding a sustainable private donor base. Kathy Mull, our Executive Director knew that needed to change.
- Playing the "new guy" card
- Making the thanks personal
- Making communication with all donors a priority
- Changing it up - just because it has always been done that way doesn't mean it should be!