Why did you become a fundraiser with Mary Salisbury

This month we asked Mary Salisbury, Director of Philanthropy  of Girls on the Run South Central Wisconsin, to share her fundraising journey and the lessons she’s learned along the way.

Mary’s career in fundraising started several years ago in Minnesota. She has worked for several non-profit organizations including PAVSA, a sexual assault service provider, YWCA Minneapolis, and Freshwater in St. Paul.

In her current position at Girls on the Run, Mary helps young women in South Central Wisconsin learn critical life skills. With guidance from trained volunteer coaches, girls and gender-expansive youth are inspired to develop joy, health, and confidence through dynamic interactive lessons and physical activity.

Another of Mary’s most recent responsibilities in the field includes serving on AFP Greater Madison’s Board of Directors in the role of IDEA Officer to help foster a culture of inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility.

We hope her story offers you encouragement as you continue to learn and grow.

What inspired you to become a fundraiser and follow a career path involving nonprofits?

Early on, I knew I wanted to dedicate my career to making a positive impact in the world. That led to my first nonprofit job at a rape crisis center in Duluth, Minnesota called PAVSA. I was an office coordinator who interacted with donors, clients, and volunteers. While in this position, I received training and became a sexual assault advocate. Wanting to learn more about nonprofit management, I took a class and discovered development as a nonprofit career track. That’s when it clicked, and I’ve been on that path ever since.

What is the most fulfilling part of your job?

I enjoy building bridges, sparking connections, and helping nonprofit communities grow and thrive. I also love seeing bold ideas emerge and flourish. And as a bonus, I coach third, fourth, and fifth graders at Girls on the Run. That combination is hard to beat!

What are your future fundraising career goals?

Living in a world that is in crisis and being a working mom with two young kids, my current goal is balance and restoration!

I want to show up at my best as a mom and put forth my best effort in the work I love. Long term, I hope I am lucky enough to keep working with others to strengthen communities.

What prompted you to become an IDEA Officer?

Throughout my career, I’ve become increasingly aware of power, privilege, and systems of oppression. I started to learn more and have been on this journey ever since. I received training as a racial justice facilitator when I was working at YWCA Minneapolis. When I moved to Madison and saw the IDEA Officer opening, something clicked again.

There’s a motto that says, “ally is a verb.” As fundraisers, we often hold organizational power. We are uniquely positioned to help address and undo racist systems. I think the fundraising community has an important role to play in this work.

What programs and/or procedures do you hope to implement as an IDEA Officer?

As AFP Greater Madison’s first IDEA Officer, my main goal is to listen, learn, and observe what emerges. I hope to work collaboratively with folks to help align the organization’s actions with IDEA values. I hope that together we can create a culture where folks of all identities feel like they belong.

If you could share one piece of advice or the most compelling lesson that you've learned during your fundraising career, what would that be?

There are two things that come to mind as I ponder that question.

One, get trained in the art of hosting! It’s a powerful facilitation method that helps bring out the collective wisdom of a group for a shared purpose. You can learn more at artofhosting.org.

Another suggestion is to create feedback loops, a concept Kathleen Allen talks about in her book, Leading form the Roots. 

What do you wish you had known when you started as a fundraising professional?

Fundraising is hard work and sometimes can feel lonely. For me, I’ve found great value in joining a supportive community of peers.

What do you wish everyone knew about inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility that would help organizations be more open to IDEA work? Is there any insight to share about the development of AFP Greater Madison’s IDEA program?

I’m not an expert. I reckon with my own privilege and biases daily. I learn from countless teachers and perspectives. Two ideas that are helping me grow in this area right now are accountability and the determination to keep trying.

Thank you to Mary Salisbury for taking the time to share her story and her words of wisdom this month.

Mary suggested her early career would have been bolstered by learning the art of hosting and developing feedback loops for some of her work. If you’d like to learn more, check out the artofhosting.org and Leading from the Roots by Kathleen Allen.

If you have experience in the areas of hosting or creating feedback loops, or if you’d like to learn more about AFP Greater Madison’s IDEA program, we’d love to hear from you.

AFP Greater Madison would like to publish personal stories like this each month. If you’d like to share the story of your fundraising journey, please reach out to AFP Greater Madison’s Communications Committee Chair, Max Nguyen at mnguyen@edgewood.edu.