Her Story
About Nicole
I've been working in the nonprofit sector for 16 years, since 2010, focusing on fundraising and ensuring the resource viability of nonprofit organizations. My work is centered on supporting small, community-based, BIPOC-led nonprofit organizations that are often resource constrained. A typical day for me includes a mix of activities - I start by checking my email and making sure I'm replying to anything urgent, then I review several dashboards, particularly my individual giving dashboard, to see what donors have been submitting or donating to our organization. I spend time looking for grant opportunities and working on grants I've previously found. I also make sure to connect with program staff to stay informed about what work is going on so I can keep donors abreast of that. There's a lot of working with other teams, doing research, and making sure I'm doing communication work. My most notable professional achievement has been the number of organizations I've been able to scale - I've been really proud of taking organizations from that startup phase into fully formed and mature organizations. I hold a bachelor's degree in journalism with a focus on public relations and community development from Howard University, which I completed in 2010, and a master's degree in nonprofit management from Trinity University, which I finished in 2012. I'm also a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, and I'm currently sitting for my CFRE certification.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Nicole
01What do you attribute your success to?
I think I attribute my success to my family. I have a lot of family support, a lot of people rooting for me. I have a very strong network. And I think that I'm able to come from that place of abundance in my life and reflect that in my work.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received from someone is never stop working on yourself. You know, if an organization hired you because you're the best candidate, remain the best candidate, invest in your education, your professional development, your network, and keep making sure that you stay sharp.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell them to make sure that they are doing work that's aligned with values that are important to them. Fundraising is always easiest to advocate for things that you believe in. Sometimes there's jobs that are going to be, you know, maybe they're really lucrative, but you don't believe in the cause. And I would say just really consider, you know, like, your values and making sure that you're aligned with the work you're doing.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I think the biggest challenge would be that we're kind of in a recession, a quiet recession in the country, and so people are reluctant to donate in the same way that they were previously. But I also think that's the opportunity to show people, you know, how the community relies on their support, and to reach out to people who've previously been aware of a cause or a mission out there that could use their support.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I really value community and connection and making sure that resources are shared equitably, so working to make sure that everyone and everybody's communities is well taken care of. I also really value transparency and open communication. I would say that really being a villager, you know, the saying, it takes a village, well, you also have to be a villager, so I would say that that's one of my values, being the villager as well.
Keep Exploring
More Influential Women · Virginia
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.