March 7, 2010

Charity’s 'Embedded’ Fund Raisers Work With Local Affiliates to Secure Big Donations

Charity’s 'Embedded’ Fund Raisers Work With Local Affiliates to Secure Big Donations 1

Martha Parrish, a retired art-gallery owner, says a fund raiser at Habitat for Humanity’s New York City affiliate helped her develop a deeper involvement with the charity that included a volunteer trip to Thailand.

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Martha Parrish, a retired art-gallery owner, says a fund raiser at Habitat for Humanity’s New York City affiliate helped her develop a deeper involvement with the charity that included a volunteer trip to Thailand.

By Nicole Wallace

All too vividly, John P. Cerniglia recalls the times he visited wealthy donors as head of the Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity, only to learn that they had recently been solicited by a fund raiser from Habitat’s national office.

“Forget about how I felt as the local executive,” says Mr. Cerniglia. “Imagine the awkwardness the donor felt, feeling positioned between the national organization and the affiliate.”

When Mr. Cerniglia took a job at the