2018 National Volunteer Week
ADRP was founded in 2004; however, its beginnings can be traced back to the first New England Stewardship Conference (NESC) in 1990. Far fewer advancement officers were specifically involved in stewardship then, but a small group of professionals recognized the unique aspects of their work and understood its importance to the advancement of philanthropy. Pooling resources, they voluntarily staged their first conference in order to share information with peers from other institutions.
In celebration of National Volunteer Week, ADRP would like to recognize that our association was built on the backs of volunteers who were eager and passionate about our profession. ADRP continues to grow and succeed because of hundreds of volunteers past and present.
To highlight some of the hard work and opportunities within ADRP that are volunteer lead, we are pleased to present the following profiles and thank our members—past and present—for every volunteer gesture, task, and role you take on.
We would not be the same association without you!
Gian Booker, Stewardship Awards Committee
What is your current volunteer role(s) with ADRP? Any past roles?
This is my second consecutive year of serving on ADRP's International Stewardship Awards Committee as a volunteer. Last year, I was invited on board as a member of the inaugural committee and had a tremendously positive experience as a first-time volunteer with ADRP collaborating with a collective of highly experienced and creative donor relations professionals.
Additionally, this year I have the pleasure of leading that same committee, which is a big honor for me to be able to meet and work with another outstanding group comprised of bright donor relations minds who are equally as enthusiastic about advancing our field and the recognition, reach of our organization through this fun effort.
Why did you choose to volunteer?
Since entering the field, the resources and relationships provided to me through and by ADRP have been invaluable to my professional growth, which, in turn, has only increased my desire to reciprocate my appreciation as a volunteer to help others grow.
As the value of donor relations professionals continues to be realized in fundraising and development, I believe it is our responsibility to strengthen our community and cultivate our future together through vital exposure of what we are all doing, the heights we are reaching in innovation, and the glass ceilings we are breaking through to serve as educational moments - I am seeking to help do that as a volunteer.
What impact has your volunteerism had on your professional and/or personal life?
Though I have only been a volunteer for a relatively short time, the professional growth it has afforded me has been exponential by being able to work with extremely experienced individuals who have incredible knowledge to pass on.
Particularly for me, just hearing the things other volunteers are doing and working through at their institutions or organizations is inspiring and refreshing because, you not only quickly see that you are not alone but, the things you learn from each other help shape and sharpen you as a professional going forward.
Do you have any advice for other ADRP members?
1. Learn everything you can from the resources ADRP provides.
2. Get to know your colleagues in the field and build relationships with them, they can expand your thinking and views.
3. Do not hesitate on doing 1 and 2, just go for it!
If you would like to volunteer to serve on the International Stewardship Awards Committee next year, just like Gian, please contact the office.
Tony Englert, Website Committee
What is your current volunteer role(s) with ADRP? Any past roles?
Website redesign committee
San Antonio Conference Chair
Member of the Board of Directors
Why did you choose to volunteer?
ADRP is based on bringing together professionals who are the leaders in their field. I always received a great deal of information and help from ADRP with my career and ideas to advance stewardship in all my roles. I also know that it started as a very grass roots movement by volunteers. In that spirit I feel compelled to give back to an organization so important to my own development.
What impact has your volunteerism had on your professional and/or personal life?
It has taught me a great deal about governance, how to plan large events, and even more now about marketing. But the real impact is getting to know other ADRP members on a closer level, working with them for the same outcome
Do you have any advice for other ADRP members?
Do not hesitate to volunteer! Not only will it grow you professionally it will help you meet new people and help determine the direction of this great organization.
If you would like to serve on an ad-hoc task force for ADRP, just like Tony, please contact the office.
Cheryl Linter, Speaker
What is your current volunteer role(s) with ADRP? Any past roles?
Committee member and Co-chair for ADRP NYC Regional Conference, 2015-2018
ADRP International Conference content committee, 2017
Presenter and facilitator at the NYC Regional Conferences and International Conferences, 2012-2017
Why did you choose to volunteer?
I have volunteered as an ADRP presenter several times. Anyone who knows me knows that I love to talk – stage fright really isn’t in my vocabulary. So presenting comes naturally to me. I used to teach, and so the educator in me says if you’ve got a good idea, or have had success with a new approach, or just want to recount the lessons learned when things didn’t go right, you’ve got an obligation to share that with your peers so that we can all learn, grow, and excel at what we do. As for volunteering behind the scenes, honestly, I hadn’t thought about it until I was asked by two colleagues working on the ADRP NYC Regional Conference if I would join the committee a few years ago. So I did. They kind of adopted me and really introduced me to the world of donor relations. Their passion and rapport were infectious, and thanks to them, I met more donor relations colleagues that first year I volunteered than I had in my prior four years in the field. And then I just kept coming back to do more. I have been fortunate to volunteer with some really great people, especially the NYC crew. We work hard. We each have a role to play, and we do it well. We put together some engaging, thought-provoking programs. And we celebrate with margaritas! All joking aside, there’s a whole science behind giving and the emotional and psychological benefits for the giver, not just the recipient. It feels good to do something for someone else – to give back. It’s not always about giving money either. I give to charitable causes close to my heart because I think it’s the best way for me to make an impact in that particular cause or community. With ADRP, I think the best way for me to make an impact in our professional community is to give my time and my talent. I keep doing it because I love what I do, I like to think I’m pretty good at it(!), and I want to share that passion with others.
What impact has your volunteerism had on your professional and/or personal life?
Getting involved in ADRP as a volunteer has given me more confidence to share my ideas, as well as find ways that I can do my job better. It has also enabled me to more closely interact with colleagues from different regions, different institution types, and different experience levels. That exposure is invaluable, not just for potential new career opportunities, but also for career growth in general. My involvement in ADRP has helped me develop an incredible great network of peers – in particular, an amazing group of mentors who are genuinely invested in my success. And now, I have reached a point in my career where I have begun to mentor others, and it’s all coming full circle, which is really rewarding.
Do you have any advice for other ADRP members?
Network. A lot. Get out there, and share your ideas. If that’s outside your comfort zone, then start small. Post to the listserv. Attend conferences and webinars. Ask questions. Then ask more questions. Introduce yourself to speakers after their presentations. Speak up. And pretty soon you’ll want to share your own answers, ask more questions, and start driving even better ideas. Don’t ever settle for “that’s the way we have always done it” – because at your fingertips (both actually and virtually) are hundreds and hundreds of ADRP peers who have some really brilliant and creative ways to change things up. Talk to them, get involved. Volunteer! You won’t regret it. Plus, it could involve margaritas.
If you would like to present at a conference or work on a regional event, just like Cheryl, please contact the office.
Megan McAndrews, Volunteer Management
What is your current volunteer role(s) with ADRP? Any past roles?
Currently I am serving as the Volunteer Management Coordinator—a new role for the organization. I started volunteering with the International Conference in Baltimore years ago.
Past roles: Board of Director Member and Vice President, conference committees, communications coordinator, presenter, mentor, host, and HUB writer.
Why did you choose to volunteer?
I was new to the field of donor relations and struggling in my role. A colleague in the field recommended that I join the organization to network and gather ideas from other organizations. Shortly after joining, I decided to volunteer for the international conference as a way to meet new people and gain more enthusiasm for my work. I couldn’t stop volunteering after that first decision. I chose to take on the role of Volunteer Management Coordinator this year because I believe that our organization is dependent upon our volunteers and they all deserve to have the uplifting experience with our organization that I have had.
What impact has your volunteerism had on your professional and/or personal life?
I was going to leave donor relations before my first volunteer experience. I received the motivation I needed to thrive in this field when I saw what donor relations meant others. I attribute the longevity of my career to the support I received from ADRP and the wonderful people I have met through my various volunteer roles. Personally, my best friends are donor relations people I met through ADRP who live all over the North America.
Do you have any advice for other ADRP members?
Get involved! The people you meet through ADRP can help you both professionally and personally. In addition, our organization and our field won’t advance without the participation of our members.
Jeff Muller, Board Member
What is your current volunteer role(s) with ADRP? Any past roles?
I am in my final year on the ADRP Board in my role as Secretary/Treasurer, as I approach six total years of board service. Prior to this, I served as Chair of the Member Experience Committee and as a member of the Member Relations Committee, the Education Task Force, and the Content Committee for the International Conference in New Orleans. I have also presented 5 times each for ADRP webinars and at ADRP’s signature International Conference, and once at a regional event, and volunteered multiple times as both a session host and mentor at the International Conference.
Why did you choose to volunteer?
For several reasons. First, we are at a unique moment in time when we have the opportunity to define and codify the role of donor relations in our philanthropy shops thanks to the greater notice it has received within the industry. ADRP has a critical role to play in this, and I wanted to help make that happen. Second, I wanted to make sure that organizations outside higher education and healthcare also benefit from this increased role and the learnings that are occurring through the association. Finally, I am always looking to grow both personally and professionally, and ADRP provided me some wonderful opportunities to do so.
What impact has your volunteerism had on your professional and/or personal life?
It has been a tremendous boon for both areas of my life. Volunteering has helped me deepen relationships with talented colleagues from diverse sectors and geographies—and with a wealth of experience to share. These incredible people are part of a powerful professional network to whom I can turn for advice, recommendations, and more. Best of all, they have also become my friends with whom I truly enjoy spending time.
Do you have any advice for other ADRP members?
You are the future of this association and have a lot to contribute. Figure out where, and how, you think you can add value—and how you would like to grow. By contributing as a volunteer, you can help ADRP and the profession thrive while personally benefiting in ways you may not even be able to see yet. Or, put simply (and with a nod to the folks at Nike), Just Do It!
If you would like to serve as a volunteer, just like Jeff, please contact the office.
Joanna Riester, Regional Planner (Midwest)
What is your current volunteer role(s) with ADRP? Any past roles?
I am currently hosting and leading the volunteer committee that is planning the ADRP 2018 Midwest Regional Forum. It is a fantastic engagement and development event for approximately 150 donor relations, communications, stewardship and fundraising professionals from institutions across Chicago and the Midwest. I presented at this event in the past, but this is my first organized volunteer effort with ADRP.
Why did you choose to volunteer?
Since starting my career in donor relations, I’ve always found the resources offered by ADRP to be invaluable. The Knowledge Center and webinars are awesome and I’ve made invaluable friends and connections through the international conference and regional events. The Midwest Regional Forum needed a new home this year and I wanted to do my part to ensure that this annual event continued for all of my Midwestern peers. Really, I couldn’t wait to give back as a way to say “thanks” for all that I have gained through ADRP.
What impact has your volunteerism had on your professional and/or personal life?
Volunteering with ADRP has strengthened my network of peers, introduced me to people who became team members in the future and has been a lot of fun. Volunteering in general has provided me with a better understanding of the critical roles that volunteers and Board members play at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, where I work. They do so much and stewarding the gifts of their time and talent is an important piece of what my team does.
Do you have any advice for other ADRP members?
Make every day matter. Try to demonstrate gratitude for something to someone every single day. And of course, volunteer with ADRP!
If you are interested in hosting a regional conference like Joanna, please contact the office or learn more on the ADRP Regional Events page.
Mary Weingartner, Event Committees
What is your current volunteer role(s) with ADRP? Any past roles? 
I am currently serving on the Content Committee for the 2018 ADRP Midwest Regional Forum on April 24 in Chicago. I am also chairing the 2018 International Conference in St. Louis, October 2–5.
Why did you choose to volunteer?
I initially volunteered because Gina Galluppi, my supervisor at the time, encouraged it. Gina herself was and is an active ADRP volunteer and offered me a great opportunity to grow professionally through volunteerism. I've been volunteering ever since. It's an honor to support a great organization and a pleasure to work with so many talented and committed people.
What impact has your volunteerism had on your professional and/or personal life?
ADRP has impacted my life in so many ways. Personally, I've met amazing people who have become true friends. Professionally my volunteerism has helped me build a network of peers across the profession. By volunteering with ADRP over the past 8 years, I have met brilliant donor relations professionals who challenge, inspire, motivate, and uplift me.
Do you have any advice for other ADRP members?
My advice to ADRP members is to get involved! It's such an exciting time in our profession. There are so many great ideas and so much to learn. As members, we are surrounded by a massive network of individuals representing institutions of all shapes and sizes. These individuals are potential mentors, mentees, employees, employers, collaborators, and friends. Without question, volunteering with ADRP has enriched my life significantly.
If you would like to volunteer for the international conference, just like Mary, please contact the office.
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