AIDS United’s VP shares her personal journey from a decades-long career in public health Indiana native Valerie L. Rochester has always been committed to service. “I actually had a very circuitous route to get to where I am today,” she says. “I had no idea I’d wind up in the nonprofit world because that was…
Battling double pandemics—COVID-19 and the resulting increase in domestic violence—has tested the mettle of this Executive Director and the organization she leads. Since taking the reins of District Alliance for Safe Housing (DASH) in 2017—10 years after the ground-breaking organization launched—35-year-old Executive Director Koube Ngaaje has doubled the organization’s capacity to shelter victims of domestic…
This dynamic young executive has built an unparalleled fundraising program from the ground up Trying to keep our families and friends safe and healthy while balancing our personal and professional lives—in 2020, this became an almost impossible task for many. Despite these obstacles, though, Joy Bentley Phillips, Chief Advancement Officer at the Academy of Hope…
This year has pushed economic and social disparities experienced by communities of color to the center of the public square. Not only has the pandemic made painfully evident the intersections of race and class, but the brutal murder of Black people at the hands of the police has reminded us of the foundation of white…
By democratizing budget and program information and allocations, Fair Budget Coalition gives constituents a voice in the most important conversations After college, Stephanie Sneed dove right into an accelerated teaching program, taking over her own classroom just months later. “I didn’t feel prepared at all,” she says. “These schools required a lot—and not a single…
Since she was a child, Wanda Steptoe knew she wanted to help people. “I grew up in a very large, very close-knit, loving family,” Wanda says. “One of my cousins had Down’s Syndrome — and life for people with developmental differences wasn’t like it is today. They recommended putting him in an institution — but…
LaKendra McNair Empowers & Accelerates Minority and Women-Owned Businesses We’re thrilled to officially launch our #BlackWomenSparkChange campaign with LaKendra McNair. LaKendra is a Vice President at M&T Bank who focuses on serving underrepresented business leaders and entrepreneurs in the greater D.C. area. Her “purpose-driven” approach defies traditional banking and lending, empowering women- and minority-owned organizations…
Black women are powerful leaders. It’s time to amplify their voices to elevate their work. In the earlier months of the COVID-19 pandemic, I was on a call with a business leader talking about how small businesses could survive the economic consequences of the pandemic. I learned about the ways in which small, women, and…
Position Title: Grant Writer Time Commitment: 35 hour work week at minimum Reports To: Senior Grant Writer and Client Relations Manager Spark Point Fundraising is seeking a Grant Writer to support clients with grant writing, reporting, cultivation of new funders, and stewardship of current funders. The ideal candidate is someone who thrives in a…
As you face the flurry of decisions about how to respond to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and ensure that your staff, clients, and communities are safe and healthy, your foundation funders can be helpful partners. Below are some quick steps you can take to keep them in the loop and potentially get increased funding for…
If you’re reading this article, we probably don’t need to tell you that fundraising is the fuel of your nonprofit — it’s what keeps the work going! Yet often, fundraising is thought of as its own department, connected to but apart from the rest of the organization, rather than central to its work. In reality,…
Learn about Spark Point founder and CEO Whitney Brimfield’s experience as a part of the Winter 2018 cohort of Her Corner’s Washington, DC Accelerator. Spoiler alert! She loved it.
Spark Point Fundraising is seeking a consultant to create and implement a content marketing strategy based on our marketing goals and desire to build our profile as a thought leader. The ideal candidate will have at least three years of experience conducting social media and content marketing work, have some understanding of the nonprofit sector,…
A new year is like a blank slate. January offers us the chance to shake off the cobwebs of last year and set new goals for ourselves. While roughly half of Americans make new year’s resolutions, at Spark Point, we have our own take on how to do it right. Read this post to learn…
One of our favorite things about our work—besides the amazing organizations we get to help—is the incredible people we meet along the way. We are so lucky to know and partner with such talented individuals, and we want to introduce one of them to you today: Barbara Tesner. Barbara has years of experience working with…
Of all the things we could say about 2017, we’ll settle for this: It was a year full of challenges, but also a year full of hope. When white nationalists spread lies about people of color, we supported our neighbors and challenged lies with truth. When women spoke of being assaulted by powerful men, we…
I’d be remiss if I didn’t share some of the amazing culinary experiences I had on my summer trip to North Carolina. As somewhat of a foodie, I was eager to experience some of the great restaurants of North Carolina. I started with Chef and the Farmer. For those of you who watch PBS, you…
Donors do more than provide funding: They provide critical investments in your mission. Are you showing them a return on investment through impact?
New funds for workforce development help our clients spark change in communities across greater Washington.
Our first quarter newsletter of 2017! See our recent grant wins, new client information, and where Spark Point has been around town.
It’s our fourth quarter newsletter! See what we’ve been up to this year and what’s in store for 2017!
Check out our third quarter newsletter to learn more about client successes, our new product, and what our staff has been up to!
We’re so excited about our new product, Spark Time! In addition to giving our clients a new opportunity, we learned so much about how we can better serve the nonprofit community. Click here to learn more!
We’ve been busy here at Spark Point Fundraising! Need help writing a large government grant? Lacking the organizational capacity to give proper donor stewardship? Ready to take on the task of building a foundation revenue line? We can help! See our case studies above. Read our latest post: Click to Connect: The Best Fundraising Blogs! Spark Point…
Our blog is awesome, but we know some other fundraising resources that are posting fire. Check them out!
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