Kathryn Van Sickle has hosted more than 150 episodes of The Development Debrief, and she tells us what the best fundraisers she's interviewed have in common. We also get into why parent giving matters more than ever and how Yale raised its parent giving society from $10,000 to $40,000. Plus: Gift Wrap with Eric Rezsnyak, dishing on Elon Musk's SpaceX share pledge and Ariana Grande's new foundation.
About Kathryn: Kathryn Van Sickle is Director, Parent Gifts at Yale, where she leads a team and still carries an active portfolio. She hosts The Development Debrief, a podcast she launched in November 2019 that now has more than 150 episodes.
In this episode:
- Three themes from 150+ episodes: There will always be a reason for people not to give, relationships with peers at other institutions are "superpowers," and AI now comes up in every conversation.
- Her three people: Her dad, who also works in the field. Rhea Turteltaub, whom she met as a student at Trinity College and who is still her mentor. And her best friend from her first job, the friend she can call without having to phrase anything productively.
- Doors are open, so walk in: Senior leaders tell Kathryn they hold office hours and want to help, but people aren't coming. Her advice is to put yourself there and keep following up.
- What great fundraisers share: They're eternal optimists (the work is a "deadlift," and everyone starts at zero every year). They stay hyper-focused on moving the needle. They see each donor's whole philanthropic picture. And they're in lockstep with their leader.
- Why parent giving, why now: Every year brings new families who are proud and excited to get to know the institution, while campaigns are closing out with fatigued donors.
- Raising the bar: Yale's Parents Leadership Council started at $10,000 fifteen years ago, moved to $25,000 in 2019, and is now $40,000, with about 150 families. Her advice: start with a number that feels authentic to your organization, and get leadership buy-in.
- Loves and losses: Kathryn's favorite part of her role is her active portfolio of families. Her challenge is balancing that portfolio with managing a team, something she's still figuring out three and a half years in.
Gift Wrap with Eric Rezsnyak: Prospect researcher Eric Rezsnyak joins Anna to dish on this week in philanthropy:
- Elon Musk's pledge on X to give one SpaceX share to every child in America, and how you'd book a gift announced by tweet
- The buzz around "third wave philanthropy" from new AI wealth, and the case for trust but verify
- Ariana Grande's Brighter Days Ahead Foundation, a fiscally sponsored project of the Entertainment Industry Foundation, and what celebrity giving really looks like
Mentioned in this episode:
- The Development Debrief podcast, including Kathryn's episode with principal gifts expert Ben Porter
- Kathryn on Instagram: @devdebrief
- Eric's podcast: Great Pop Culture Debate
- Fieldwork, Brightside Philanthropy's coaching program for frontline fundraisers: brightsidephilanthropy.com/fieldwork
Music: "A Million Moments" by Jackie Venson, used with permission. Visit Jackie at jackievenson.com and listen to the song on Spotify.
