I fell in love with donor relations because it’s a field full of possibilities. There are myriad pathways one can take, and each one promises opportunities to be thoughtful and creative. Each one also promises its own challenges, and pursuing new ideas or experiences outside of one’s comfort zone can be overwhelming and intimidating.

I signed up for the ADRP 2021: Big World, Big Ideas conference mentorship program because I know that, as an ADRP member, I have a network of seasoned professionals and experts who can help me focus my career and develop a path forward. By being a mentee, I can develop a meaningful partnership with an expert in one of my areas of interest. They can help me gain confidence, find resources, and feel empowered to pursue the many possibilities of donor relations. When I weighed the benefits of having a mentor so easily accessible to me, taking advantage of this opportunity seemed like a no-brainer.

Another wonderful thing about donor relations is that, at its core, it’s about understanding the magnitude of giving back. That’s why my colleague, Nancy Masterson-Newkirk, Donor Relations and Stewardship Officer at Rutgers University-Newark, has decided to volunteer as a mentor. “It’s a nice way to pay it forward,” she says. “I wish I’d known how much richness there is to the field and how interesting it is when I started. There are so many different things you can do. I’d love to talk about the breadth with someone who is new to the field and get them to think about all the opportunities and organizations there are. It will also be nice to get their perspective as well.”

I hope you will join us in participating in this special program. Your ideas for your career may seem small in the big world of donor relations, but they are bigger than you know. The mentorship program will help you grow and shape them.

To sign up for the mentorship program, indicate your interest when your register for ADRP 2021: Big World, Big Ideas. Or, you can email Mark Hapanowicz at [email protected].

Blog written by Jillian Ports, Donor Relations Writer, Lehigh University