Nonprofit Adviser

Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation

Looking for good news? Everyday heroes are throwing fun, uplifting events to give back to the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation — raising $1.1 million from peer-to-peer fundraising last year alone.

“When there’s so much chaos, that is when people are motivated to do something good,” says Kelly Lamb, who has coached more than 700 volunteers on fundraising through DIY events and athletic pursuits in her work directing the Team Reeve program.

She told me most of her organizers come through the Reeve Foundation’s National Paralysis Resource Center after supporting a loved one through a spinal-cord injury or experiencing one themselves. They want to give back to the organization, and Team Reeve offers them the perfect opportunity to do so. Lamb shared her tips for building a successful volunteer-driven fundraising program from the ground up, including a template for peer-to-peer appeals.

Read more about turning your supporters into fundraising superheroes in my latest story, How the Reeve Foundation Tripled Its Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Revenue.

Enjoy your week,

M.J. Prest
Senior Editor, Advice

Show how you fit at the nonprofit group where you want to work. Read its annual report, media hits, press releases, and blog to show you’ve done your homework, says Deirdre Jennings-Holton, director of talent acquisition at the World Wildlife Fund. Then in your cover letter and résumé, reveal how your interests and skills are a good match for their priorities: “This is what the organization cares about, what they’re talking about, what they are excited about — and think about your connection to those topics.” Read more job-hunting tips on getting to the next level in your career in Lois Baron’s article: Craft a Résumé That Helps You Climb the Ladder.

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Education: The Toshiba America Foundation supports high-quality STEM education in U.S. K–12 schools by funding innovative, teacher-designed projects. Teachers can apply for grants that center on project-based learning. Application deadlines: September 1, November 1, December 1; depending on grade level.

Performing Arts: The Shubert Foundation supports the ongoing vitality of live performing arts across the U.S., prioritizing nonprofit professional theater and also funding dance organizations. Its primary focus is on providing general operating support, but it also funds arts-related organizations, leading drama departments, and new theatrical works. Grants range from $15,000 to $371,000; application deadlines October 15 and December 4.