LINDA APPLEBY

**** ******** ******, ******, **. *3511

Cell: 608-***-****

ad193h@r.postjobfree.com

EXECUTIVE PROFILE

Talented relationship-focused Fundraising Executive with extensive experience in corporate, principal/planned gifts and foundation grants. Self-starter, strategic thinker with an entrepreneurial perspective. Experience in complex fundraising environments including healthcare, medical research, patient advocacy, academic medicine, higher education, and organizations serving people with disabilities. Strong leadership and management skills complemented by well-developed interpersonal and communication skills. Successfully guided efforts across teams in building and engaging donor relationships and collaborative partnerships. My career has focused as a frontline fundraiser that has closed principal and planned gifts, corporate partnerships, grants, and event sponsorships. Skilled in writing, public presentations, and management of both volunteers and employees. Key areas of responsibilities:

Leadership/visioning

Marketing/outreach/event planning

Strategic planning

Management/supervision

Board relations/governance

Budgets/finance/financial management/oversight

Grant writing/grant making.

Case development

Prospect research/qualification/data analytics

Cultivation/donor engagement

Solicitations/closing gifts.

Stewardship

Corporation/foundation relations

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

SCHOOL CHOICE OF WISCONSIN, (remote with some travel) January 2023 –present

Director of Development

School Choice Wisconsin is the state's premier education advocacy organization. Our mission is to empower parents by advocating for high-quality options in education. School Choice Wisconsin is a non-profit 501(c)(3) that works to empower parents by developing, supporting, and promoting the ideas and policies that create vibrant, quality options in K-12 education in Wisconsin.

Created a vision and development plan to grow funding streams.

Built solid relationships with foundations and donors that are passionate about advancing parental school choice in Wisconsin.

Primarily focused on grant writing while building the individual major gift side and annual fund side

Added 16 new foundations and over 20 new donors to the pipeline in 6 months. Highest gifts closed in first seven months include: $360,000 foundation grant and $100,000 corporate gift and $50,000 individual gift.

Built a donor pipeline of over $2.6 million and within the first 6 months over $756,000 has closed.

Responsible for all proposals, grant writing, submissions, calendar, and reporting.

Co-created case statements and proposal templates.

Co-creating first ever donor impact report.

Partnering with like minded organization to grow our outreach, impact, and funding.

Developing use of social media.

Currently working on a SCW first ever golf outing fundraiser for 2024.

LUTHERAN HOUR MINISTRIES (remote, and 99% travel) July 2022 to December 2022

Senior Ministry Advancement Counselor

Lutheran Hour Ministries is a 501c3 global ministry. Its mission is every person has the opportunity to hear the Gospel in an understandable way. Those seeking are connected to a healthy Christian community where they can grow in their faith. Every Christian is equipped to share the Gospel in word and deed. Engaged Christians advance this common mission as a global community.

The Senior Ministry Advancement Counselor assists the Chief Development Officer, Major & Planned Gifts in conducting a major gift/planned gift program for Lutheran Hour Ministries.

My primary role was to work within a model of relationship (moves) management to identify, cultivate, and steward donor relationships with LHM, leading and resulting in the solicitation and closing of current gifts and deferred gifts from existing and new Lutheran Hour Ministries’ donors, maintaining relationships with an average of 120 donors. Also, conducted a major/planned gift program and assisted in designing and implementing a long-range and short-range action plan.

Assumed full responsibility for activities and programs assigned by the Chief Development Officer, Major & Planned Gifts and the Senior VP and Chief Strategy Officer

Raised funds at a major gifts level (gifts of 25,000 and greater) in support of the ministry.

Worked toward expected and mutually agreed upon goals and objectives that will annually address: the number of expected visits, solicitations, active pipeline of donors, and overall dollars raised in support of the ministry.

Served as the Lutheran Hour Ministries representative and direct contact to planned gift partnerships of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod Foundation in the assigned region – Upper Midwest.

Served as resource to other Constituent Services staff members, especially to the Global Ministry division.

Assisted in marketing and enrollment efforts for the Hoffmann Society, a planned gift donor recognition constituency.

Professionally stewards all donors and co-worker relationships.

My personal results included a $25.000 major gift within my first 2 months and building pipeline 12 months out in a territory that had been uncultivated.

Collaborated with grants and foundation staff on proposals and grant reports.

TEAM PHENOMENAL HOPE, Remote (travel as needed) - Based in Beloit, WI March 2018 to July 2022

Executive Director and Chief Philanthropy Officer

Team Phenomenal Hope is a disease specific 501c3 organization that raises awareness and funds to support.

patients (adult and children) and research surrounding Pulmonary Hypertension, a terminal disease. Reporting to the chair and board of directors, I served as the face of the organization to all constituents and served as chief fundraising officer that secures, guides and mentored staff and all fundraising activity.

Strategically guided the efforts that more than tripled revenue and put the organization in a more financial stable position. Added new major donors, grants, and sponsors of over $1million.

Built trusted relationships with donors, pharmaceutical partners, and medical centers which led to principal gifts to fund new programs to serve more patients globally, conduct research, and address health disparities.

Secured principal gifts to launch: an annual competitive young investigator research award of $50,000 each (basic science and translational discovery), a patient unmet needs grant program that served over 120 patients annually, and patient education programming.

Engaged volunteers and the medical community through our Let Me Be Your Lungs endurance team program as well as well as industry partners to create a community of patient support. Supported creating a medical advisory committee. Grew peer to peer revenue by over 30%.

Revamped overall marketing strategy to obtain a greater reach to more patients, families, funders, and medical professionals both digitally and in-person by creating an annual research summit, patient support group and training for health care professionals. Also co-created a special website for patients and families called “Live, Learn, Breathe PH” helping you manage living with PH, with a grant from CHEST.

Created 3rd party and in-house event guidelines, event captains, and event/race “watercooler” FB page for events. Also, created a Blackbaud special event website for events and peer-to-peer campaigns and donations.

Created a series of videos on what “PH Feels Like.”

Attended conferences such as PHA, CHEST, ATS and held Pelton Bike challenges in our booth. Had a poster in the poster session at ATS on patient unmet needs.

With our medical advisory board, created a series of videos on “Living Well with PH” post pandemic with a grant.

Expanded organizational capacity by negotiating two new mergers with other like organizations.

Collaboratively led the efforts to create a marketing plan and social media campaigns that increased engagement and new donors. Over 300 patient stories and videos published leading to new grants in patient education and unmet needs.

Created annual budget along-side a development plan for board approval that guided our work and led to greater budget and operational efficiency and increased overall funding through industry sponsorships, grants, and gifts.

Collaboratively with staff and volunteers, support over 8 regional special events a year, raising approximately $135,000 annually - Including 5K run/walk, Golf outing, trivia night, and Peloton bike challenge. Grew international teams to 5 countries.

Implemented a planned gift program which included marketing materials.

Grew the organization financially to double its staff.

Co-created with Bayer and patients via a 3rd party marketing company a patient perspective manuscript and peer reviewed article - published in the spring of 2023 in Pulmonary Circulation Journal.

Created infrastructure: first database – Raiser’s Edge NXT and Just Giving peer-peer platform.

PROHEALTH CARE FOUNDATION, Waukesha, WI July 2015 to August 2017

Director of Major and Planned Gifts

Worked collaboratively with physicians, staff, and the community to create giving opportunities for grateful patients and to create synergy in the community for support. Leadership position that set strategic vision, campaign creation, marketing, and fundraising goals in collaboration with other team leaders across the health system to increase support of ProHealth Care entities including Oconomowoc Hospital, Waukesha Hospital and Angels Grace Hospice and Regional Cancer Center.

Had the opportunity to co-create transformational gifts with incredibly generous grateful patients, families, and corporations.

In this position, enhanced the fundraising efforts by strategically managing the major gift team of 3 MGO’s towards success by rebalancing and refreshing their major gift prospect portfolios, implementing SMART goals, best practices, enhancing donor-centric giving opportunities by working directly with service line leaders, implementing the moves management process, and helping each major gift officer develop strategies around their top prospects.

One new initiative was rebranding and marketing the planned giving program through a new look and feel to our planned giving pieces, creating a planned giving council of volunteers and hosting planned-giving seminars and increasing the number and variety of planned gifts to ProHealth Care.

Carried my own portfolio of major gift prospects. 2015-2017, closed nine new planned gifts and 14 major gifts and 4 principal gifts. Regularly communicated with leadership on the strategic priorities for donor engagement and case statements for support. Maintained and monitored the major gift team budget, metrics, and fundraising goals. Mentored and coached major gift officers and grant officers and problem solved as necessary.

Supported in-house and third-party events with sponsorships and creating peer to peer giving marketing strategies.

EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH IN AMERICA FOUNDATION, Chicago, IL February 2014 to July 2015

Manager, Trust, and Gift Administration – ELCA Foundation

The ELCA supports church wide programs such as world hunger, missionaries, health, and education in impoverished countries as well as all ELCA congregations and regional leadership and gift planners.

Managed the planned gift and endowment and donor service team for the ELCA Church wide offices. On an annual basis this team processed and distributed $24 million in planned gifts and closed over $80 million in new principal and planned gifts.

In addition to carrying my own donors, I interacted with 15 regional gift planners, lawyers, congregations, synods, and ELCA partnership organizations to secure meaningful planned and outright principal gifts, answer donor questions and to provide financial reports relative to planned gifts.

Responsibilities included providing client service support for endowment services, ELCA organizations, donors and gift planners related to cases for support, planned gifts and current and new endowment gifts.

Worked collaboratively across multiple units to draft consistent planned gift proposals, cases for support, trusts, donor advised funds and gift agreements. Chaired the real estate review committee.

Led the gift services team to serve as the coordination between various internal departments and the donor. I collaborated with the Director of the ELCA Foundation and office of the treasurer to ensure current gift revenue targets were achieved and to analyze planned gift risk tolerance and recommend a long-term strategy for planned gift vehicles.

Created and executed gift accounting and gift acceptance policies for $198 million-dollar campaign and designed donor giving opportunities during the campaign.

Personally, closed over 20 new CGA’s and 7 CRT’s totaling over $10 million. Structured a current/blended principal gift with a truly mission driven family of $7 million that the presiding bishop presented to the donor.

ST. COLETTA OF WISCONSIN, Jefferson, WI July 2012 to February 2014

Director of Development

Served as a member of the senior leadership team of St. Coletta of Wisconsin, which has a 108-year history of serving

people with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Managed and guided development staff.

As Director of Development, innovatively re-engaged and identified new donors in supporting programs at St. Coletta resulting in $565,000 in new principal gifts within first nine months.

Maintained a portfolio of prospects to cultivate and solicit major gifts in the five to seven figure range.

Supported on-going fundraising events that meet a minimum 50% ROI. Also, was able to implement a prospect research and identification process. As a result, increased cash gifts from $1.3 million to $2.6 million in less than a year and a half and added seven new planned gifts.

Created marketing materials, appeals, newsletters that increased donor-base by over 30%

Created a family member support group which led to the creation of 2 new special events and planned giving seminars.

FROEDTERT AND THE MEDICAL COLLEGE OF WISCONSIN, Milwaukee, WI January 2011 to July 2012

Director of Development – The Cardiovascular Center

Served as the Director of Development of the Cardiovascular Center of the Medical College of Wisconsin. The Cardiovascular Center is a center of excellence with a successful history of discovery and novel patient treatments. Managed the gift efforts in basic and translational cardiovascular research, especially in heart failure and medical education.

Cultivated relationships between donors, researchers, and clinicians to inspire transformational gifts in cardiovascular research including both molecule and

In fiscal year 2011 – 2012, grew principal gifts from $326,000 to $1.72 million. The most philanthropic dollars raised in the 20-year history of the Cardiovascular Center.

Individually and collaboratively was responsible for securing $1 million plus in principal gifts, primarily from grateful patients, foundations/corporations, and community leaders.

Engaged donors, corporations, and foundations for philanthropic support for research projects, endowed chairs, post-fellow docs, and event sponsorships. Events managed included a golf tournament, an annual walk/ run, and a motorcycle ride. Largest gifts closed included: $100,000, $75,000 and was positioning a $1.5 million-dollar endowed chair principal for fiscal year 2012-2013 from a grateful family.

In addition, annually solicited over $100,000 from corporations for event sponsorships.

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-WHITEWATER, Whitewater, WI January 2009 to December 31, 2010

Senior Director of Advancement-College of Letters and Sciences

In concert with the Dean of the College identified, engaged, cultivated, and asked prospects for transformational gifts in support of priorities that directly impacted students.

Managed a portfolio of 120 alumni donors and 100 suspects across 17 states.

Solicited sponsorships for annual golf outing.

Created engagement opportunities for alumni in person and virtually.

Co-created event invitations and campaign case statements.

Handled event logistics and day of run.

Collaborated internally to ensure the success of the student mentoring and scholarship programs.

BETHESDA LUTHERAN COMMUNITIES, Watertown, WI (Home based deployed) June 2007 to December 2008

Regional Director of Special Gifts-Chicago Region

Raised over $1 million from building donor relationships through face-to face donor meetings with salt of the earth grateful family members, the faithful, and foundations that support persons with disabilities.

Largest planned gift $2.1M trust.

Wrote my own appeals and proposals.

Collaborated on special events and volunteer recruitment.

Collaborated internally to create impactful donor case statements.

BELOIT COLLEGE, Beloit, WI June 2001 to May 2007

Major Gifts Officer and Reunion Giving Manager

I was responsible for full scope of development activities directed at alumni, friends and parents intended to increase engagement and philanthropic support for the college. Closed numerous major gifts and planned gifts. I laid the cultivation groundwork/guided the donor that eventually led to a transformational gift of over $750,000.

Implemented planned giving in a blended reunion giving campaign strategy. Closed several planned gifts.

Created reunion giving and planned giving marketing pieces.

Assistant Director of the Annual Fund

Wrote annual appeals and used data mining and analytics for segmentation and tracked results. Increased donor acquisitions, retention rates improved as well as the average/median gift size.

Recruited and managed volunteers in the class agent program and parent leadership council.

EDUCATION

BA, History, Beloit College, Beloit, WI

Currently working on obtaining my CFRE

AFFILIATIONS

AFP (Milwaukee, WI and Rockford, IL. Chapters through 2020)

ALDE, Southeastern WI (2008- 2014)

Planned Giving Council

CASE V (2001-2012)

Member of the American Council on Gift Annuities and Chicago Planned Giving Council

AHP (Association of Healthcare Philanthropy through 2019)

CURRENT COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERING

Beloit College Alumni Board of Directors – 2018 – 2021 (Vice-Chair and Chair -Beloiters helping Beloiters)

Women’s Policy Circle- Beloit Chapter – 2019 – currently

Messiah Lutheran Church (LCMS) stewardship committee – 2018 - currently

Stateline Community Foundation Women’s Fund, member 2012- currently

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