Fundraising Career Advice: What I Wish I Knew Then

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” When you were in first grade, I bet you didn’t say, “I want to be a fundraiser!” Me? I wanted to be Matlock.

For so many of us, a fundraising career is something we fell into, or, perhaps, is a “second act” after our first career didn’t work out exactly as we planned.

That’s exactly what happened to me. After law school and three years as a litigator, I knew that I needed to make a change. With that in mind, I replied to a job listing I found in a paper copy of The New York Times (now I’m really dating myself) and sent my cover letter and resume to the planned giving department at Planned Parenthood Federation of America.