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Join us at the June education session presented by the AFP Northeast Indiana chapter.
Date: June 13 at 12:00 p.m.
Location: Parkview Field 400 Club
Lunch will be served starting at 11:30 with the program
beginning at noon sharp.
Session Overview:
A panel of fundraising professionals representing small, medium, and large shops and many years of experience will dive into challenges faced by development departments today. Participants can plan to leave this session with a thorny problem solved, insight about a transition or issue they may be facing, and a sense of community with other fundraising professionals that we are not alone in the challenges we face!
Sample discussion topics include pivoting after a sun-setting foundation, changes in event purchasing patterns, stretching your dollar, incorporating digital and print into appeals, and prioritizing your limited time.
An anonymous ballot box will be provided for day-of challenge submission – so come prepared and BRING A CHALLENGE!
Parkview Field
400 Club
1301 Ewing Street
Fort Wayne, IN 46802
BRING A CHALLENGE:
FUNDRAISING PANEL DISCUSSION
June 13, 2024
12:00 p.m.
Meet Your Panelists
Faith Van Gilder
Chief Development Officer | Girl Scouts of Northeast Indiana-Michiana
Faith Van Gilder joined Girl Scouts of Northern Indiana-Michiana in August 2020 as Chief Development Officer. She is a native of Defiance, Ohio, and a graduate of Bowling Green State University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism. She and her husband David were Peace Corps Volunteer teachers in Botswana in the 1980s. Her career spans journalism, marketing and philanthropy, including the Dayton Journal Herald, U.S. News and World Report, Mortgage Bankers Association, Fort Wayne Newspapers, Greater Fort Wayne Community Foundation and Asher Agency. She serves on the board of the National Peace Corps Association and in 2017 co-founded AVOW (Advancing Voices of Women), for which she was named the Journal Gazette Citizen of the Year in 2018. She is a graduate of Leadership Fort Wayne, Hoosier Women Forward and the Mutz Philanthropic Leadership Institute. She has two adult daughters – Audrey and Annika – and a Yorkie named Chica.
Kent Castleman
Executive Director | Fort Wayne Trails, Inc.
Kent is the Executive Director of Fort Wayne Trails, Inc. Kent is a seasoned nonprofit executive. Most recently, he served as Chief Philanthropy Officer at the Embassy Theatre and Chief Development Officer at Lasting Change. Prior to his first term with Fort Wayne Trails, he was the founder and Executive Director of Cornerstone Youth Center. Kent earned a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and is currently completing a master of arts in philanthropic studies from the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.
Jama Ross
Executive Director | Blessings in a Backpack
Jama Ross has served the Fort Wayne nonprofit sector for almost 20 years, previously working in both case management and development. During her time at The Salvation Army, Ross created "Charlotte Ministries," an assistance program for families with NICU or terminally ill children. A community organizer, Ross has created and orchestrated several successful events, including the Miss QOC Pageant, which empowered young women to seek unity and inner beauty. Ross was a Regional Development Director for the Indiana division of the American Red Cross and now proudly serves as the Executive Director for Blessings in a Backpack, raising awareness on the issue of local food insecurity in our school system. As a columnist for The Journal Gazette, Ross enjoys writing on issues of social injustice and of course, spending time with her family of a fabulous husband and seven children.
