Engagement and Fundraising: Thread Gathering on Building Community and Philanthropy
March 6 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Free
Please note the time change!
Growing giving and the sense of belonging in Quaker community is an art, but it is also grounded in a set of skills, tools, information, and resources. This panel discussion will help you support your community in successful philanthropic and engagement strategies that work. The panel discussion will be followed by breakout groups to allow deeper conversations with panelists. Co-hosted with Moorestown Meeting
Schedule
We are happy to share the schedule for this exciting thread gathering.
- 9:00-9:30am Optional worship hosted by Moorestown Meeting
- 9:30-9:40am Tech review and introductions
- 9:40am-11:00am Panel on Engagement and Fundraising
- 11:00-11:30am Break out groups with panelists
- 11:30-11:50am Back from small groups – sharing learnings
- 12:00pm Closing
Panelists and Panel Topics
- Robert Vosburgh – Director of Gift Planning at University of Pennsylvania (West Chester MM) – planned gifts and capital campaigns
- Vidya Plainfield – Growth Officer at TechSpeed, an innovative data services company – use of data, communications, social media, and new methods
- Georgette Hamaty – Director of Foundation Relations at the Barnes Foundation (Abington MM) – grant writing, making the ask, and responding to “no”
- Nina Fleegle – Associate Director of Alumni and Constituent Engagement (Chester River MM) – growing community, welcoming attenders, and building your Meeting
The panel will be moderated by Grace S. Cooke, PYM’s Associate Secretary for Advancement and Relationship.
Robert Vosburgh is a Director of Gift Planning at the University of Pennsylvania where he works with faculty, administration, alumni, and friends of the Penn Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, the Libraries, and the schools of Design, Education, Engineering, Nursing, and Veterinary Medicine. His work involves trusts, wills, and other “planned gifts” funded with a wide variety of different assets. He was previously the Acting Vice President of Development for the National Constitution Center, and has also held positions with The Walters Art Museum, The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Cloisters). He continues to teach an annual graduate-level introduction to fundraising course at the University of the Arts as an Associate Professor of Museum Studies. Robert serves on the boards of the West Chester Friends School and the Chester County Historical Society, and serves on the Advancement Committee for the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting and the Stewardship Committee of the West Chester Monthly Meeting. He holds a BA from The College of Wooster (OH), an MA in Medieval Studies from Fordham University (NY), and a JD from Temple Law School (PA).
Before pursuing her current endeavor as Chief Growth Officer for big data company TechSpeed, Vidya Plainfield served in leadership positions at several Fortune 100 companies including Gillette, Campbell Soup Co, Danone, Glaxo Smith Klein, and most recently as Vice President of Marketing for Aramark Healthcare. Vidya has 17 years of experience spanning Healthcare, Food Service, Pharma and CPG industries. She currently serves as board member and adviser for several non-profit and for profit organizations and was named by Women & Wealth Magazine as one of 2019 19 Women to Watch. Vidya graduated with honors both at Babson College with a B.S. in Business Strategy and Villanova with an MBA in Marketing. Today, Vidya lives with her two children in University City, Philadelphia.
Georgette Hamaty studied music at West Chester University and actively performs. Georgette has devoted 40 years to non profit work predominately in the field of fundraising at The Philadelphia Orchestra, Opera Philadelphia, WHYY, Fox Chase Cancer Center, and Saint Joseph’s University. She currently oversees foundation and government grant fundraising at the Barnes Foundation. Now empty nesters, Georgette and her husband George Schaefer live in Glenside. She attends Abington Monthly Meeting and is a member of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting’s Middle East Collaborative. She also serves on the board of Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture.
Nina Fleegle is the Associate Director of Constituent & Volunteer Engagement at Washington College. Her work focuses on building relationships, events, and programming that will attract people to be a part of the College community, and ultimately have them give back through their time, talents, or treasures. Through meaningful engagement, constituents gain a connection to something they care about, and learn more about how they can help. Previously, Nina worked in annual giving, career development, and educational administration around the country. She serves on the board of the United Way and the Kent Family Center. Nina was born into West Chester Monthly Meeting, and is now the Clerk of Chester River Monthly Meeting in Chestertown, Md.
Grace Sharples Cooke is a development professional with 10 + years of experience in Fundraising and five years of cumulative experience at Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. Her publishing, and non-profit, education, fundraising, and communications career has spanned 27 years spent in the United States, Asia, and Europe, with career concentrations in education and cultural exchange while living abroad during the family’s Diplomatic postings in Shanghai, Tokyo, Berlin and Taipei. A return to the Philadelphia region in 2002 sparked a departure from prior work in fashion publishing and a new career in non-profit work with a specialization in development and communications.
A convinced Friend with a Quaker heritage, she has been a member of Haverford Meeting since the 1970’s. She served the Meeting as Treasurer for seven years during which time she worked with the Finance Committee and the Clerks of the Meeting to develop a culture of transparency around fundraising and financial management. This grew donor engagement and community cohesiveness.
Fun fact: Grace spent six years working as a Fashion Assistant and later editor at Glamour Magazine in New York.
