Her Story
About Kathryn
Kathryn Holcomb has been in the nonprofit sector for over 12 years, with her main area of expertise in fundraising. She joined United Way Broward 12 years ago after moving to Fort Lauderdale, beginning in the business development campaign team before transitioning to the major gifts side with a donor-centric focus. In her current role of about 6 years, she leads the Leaders United donor group for those giving $1,000 or more annually. Prior to her nonprofit career, she worked in sales and customer service and held her first professional role at Paralyzed Veterans of America in Washington, DC, where she supported veteran advocacy efforts. She holds a degree from Catawba College in North Carolina, where she studied theater and other areas that strengthened her communication skills and ability to connect with diverse individuals. Holcomb is involved with United Way Broward's Mission United Veterans Program, which supports veterans through housing and resource connections.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Kathryn
01What do you attribute your success to?
My current success would probably be figuring things out for myself along the way until I had a new person appointed as my supervisor. He guided me through questions, been willing to answer things, help me apply knowledge in different areas, and really get a better grasp on certain things. He's been a wonderful mentor for me, not only a supervisor. So he's made a huge difference for me.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Listen more than you talk. Probably take action, not everything has to be perfect, the first run or the first draft.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Make sure that you have somebody in your community that you are able to lean on to provide their guidance from their experiences to get where they are. So it doesn't have to be necessarily a CEO, it can be somebody who you see making a difference, and who's making a name for themselves, and who really seems to be doing quite a wonderful job in their area. Getting a mentor who is able to provide that.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Being true to myself, having the ability to uplift others, and probably just staying positive throughout life. Life as a journey is my biggest overall thing, and celebrating everything is huge for me. I always apply that to personal and professional side of my life, so that's something that I always bring with me, and I'm always able to see the positive in something, even if something doesn't go perfectly, that doesn't mean anything. You get to learn from it, move forward, apply your knowledge.
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