November 2020 — In Service: The Column of the ADRP President

Keri Kallaway
Senior Director, Donor Relations and Gift Services
Children's Hospital Colorado Foundation

Dear fellow ADRPers,

As I considered my first message to you as ADRP President, I took a walk down memory lane and reflected upon my first notable experience as an ADRP member in 2008, my involvement as a volunteer, and the 12-year pathway that brought me to my current level of service.

In 2008, about one year after I joined Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation, I was blessed with the opportunity to attend the International Conference in St. Louis (yes, we’ve held two conferences in St. Louis). It was then when I truly understood the significant impact of a donor relations program. I heard from and met long-time members like Lori Green, who chaired that conference, Mary Solomons, Daphne Powell and Jennifer Johnson, and so many more. I learned about digital stewardship, campaign kickoffs and how to handle crucial conversations. Most importantly, I found a home. Although I already had been a part of the donor relations profession for several years at that point, it was that moment in time when I knew this would be my passion for many, many years to come.

It was then that I also learned about Penelope Burk and what her contributions were to our field. You will find she is referenced in this issue of the HUB. Penelope has given us the framework for our role as fundraisers and a deep understanding of the impact we have on revenue generation, within just one element of a donor relations program. Thank you, Penelope!

Lastly, I quickly learned what ADRP volunteers meant and still mean to the Association and our programming. I was in awe then and still am, at the level of dedication and commitment our volunteers have toward the growth and success of not only ADRP but our profession. ADRP would not be where it is today without the efforts of so many of you.

As you heard from immediate past president Michal Shaw during this year’s virtual Annual Meeting, the ADRP Board completed and launched a strategic plan that will bring us through 2025. Our plan is ambitious, but we know we can reach our goals because of members like you, who choose to share your talents and time with ADRP. There are many opportunities to volunteer -- in fact, we are growing those opportunities and developing a new volunteer structure to support the initiatives of our current strategic plan. Please consider volunteering, and leave YOUR footprint on ADRP and the future of our profession.

Yours in gratitude,

Keri Kallaway
President, ADRP