Making a Meaningful Difference by Young Professionals
Join us at the April 2025 Mentoring Session of the Greater Baton Rouge Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals to learn how a simple idea to involve young professionals has grown into a tremendously successful effort. Club Blue Members Maggie Landry and Joe Cefalu will share how Club Blue provides leadership and volunteer opportunities to greater impact Boys and Girls Club of Metro Louisiana in the Baton Rouge area. Club Blue is comprised of individuals from a diverse array of industries and careers connecting to make a difference in children's lives. Club Blue hosts networking events for young professionals, as well as volunteer events with Boys & Girls Clubs youth. They will share about their recent Great Future Gala, which is run and supported greatly by their volunteer organization.
Training Session
A Healthy Fundraising Program Requires Regular Check-ups!
Presented by
Michelle Hamilton, CFRE, Managing Director, Carter
This interactive session, presented by Michelle Hamilton, CFRE, introduces the concept of a development audit and a process for evaluating your fundraising program. You’ll leave with an understanding of the audit process and a worksheet to help introduce the concept of a fundraising audit in your organization.
Goals and expected outcomes:
This interactive session includes four primary learning objectives:
• Understanding the importance of fundraising program evaluation as part of
annual and strategic planning
• Identifying the framework required to support an effective fundraising
program
• Understanding best practices of core fundraising program components:
annual fund, major gifts, planned giving, stewardship and donor Recognitions
and endowment
• Understanding the infrastructure needed to support successful fundraising,
staffing, policy and procedure, database and gift processing, governance, and
board engagement in fundraising.
BIO
Michelle Hamilton, CFRE, has experienced success in all areas of fundraising through leadership roles with the National MS Society, Houston Symphony, Dayton Philharmonic, Arts Council of Fort Worth and Tarrant County, Crisis Assistance Ministry, and Charlotte Symphony.
Before joining Carter as Managing Director in 2021, Michelle served as VP of Development for the Charlotte Symphony (CSO) and served as Interim CEO. During her tenure with the CSO, she led efforts that grew the endowment by $4M, and individual giving by 25%. At Carter, Michelle provides counsel on capital campaigns, major gifts, governance, and fundraising strategies to arts, social service, and educational institutions.
Michelle is an AFP Charlotte board member and past president and was named Outstanding Fundraising Professional in 2013. She also serves on the board of CFRE International. In Charlotte, she serves on the board of directors of Tosco Music and is a founding member of Fair Play Music Equity Initiative, also in Charlotte.
A graduate of the University of Louisiana, Michelle and her husband Mark live in Charlotte, North Carolina. They have one son and one beagle. The Hamiltons are enthusiastic supporters of organizations that provide support and opportunities for musicians. Their weekends are filled with as many live music experiences as they can pack in!
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