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Whether you’re looking to attract or retain a diverse constituency of donors, you will want to join us for this conversation on best practices in stewardship and donor relations for all donors.  Learn first-hand from our experts how to be more inclusive with your stewardship practices especially for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities. During this discussion, we’ll learn innovative ways that our speakers are implementing in their work or experiencing in the field. You’ll also have the opportunity to ask your own questions as it pertains to your role or organization.

Moderator:  Dominique Calixte, Associate Director of Annual Giving and Special Events at YW Boston

Speakers:
Yolanda F. Johnson, Founder and President of YFJ Consulting, LLC and Founder of Women of Color in Fundraising and Philanthropy and Allies in Action Membership Network, President WID-NYC
Cheryl Katon, Vice President, Resource Development and Donor Engagement at Fenway Health

Yolanda F. Johnson
With a wealth of experience in the non-profit sector, Yolanda F. Johnson is both a philanthropy and fundraising expert, successfully having led fundraising operations for a wide range of nonprofit organizations, launching creative event, sponsorship and marketing initiatives that produced new streams of both contributed and earned income. Her fundraising expertise includes securing foundation, corporate, and government funding and cultivating a diverse major gifts portfolio. Her philanthropic work includes counseling philanthropists on where to  direct their resources, and through her own YFJ Philanthropies, she personally gives back to causes supporting racial and gender equity, those with disabilities and the arts.

In addition to leading YFJ Consulting, LLC, Yolanda is the Founder of WOC, Women of Color in Fundraising and Philanthropy® and Founder of Allies in Action Membership Network in addition to the President of Women In Development, NY (WID). Yolanda has also had an outstanding career as a performing artist, as a composer, as a producer, as an educator, and she has used her background as a performer to become a sought-after fundraising and philanthropy expert.

Her leadership roles include serving as an International Advisory Board member and the former Representative for the Foundation for Post Conflict Development to the United Nations; a member of the board of directors of the Lehman College Art Gallery; a member of the board of trustees of the Hudson River Museum, Special Advisor to the American Composers Orchestra and a member of the PowHerNY board of directors. A trailblazing figure on the national fundraising landscape, Yolanda is the first African American President in the 40-year history of WID. She co-established the WID Diversity and Inclusion Task Force and is often a featured expert on incorporating DEI initiatives into organizational culture. Her public speaking portfolio includes keynote presenter, panel expert and panel moderator in addition to an array of powerful workshops created through YFJ Consulting. Yolanda is also a member of the Chronicle of Philanthropy Advisory Committee of national leaders in the non-profit sector.

Crafting her life as a successful performing artist together with her prowess as a non-profit leader, she developed All the World’s A Stage, a special workshop using performance practice for getting what one wants out of fundraising, philanthropy, and life. She presents All the World’s A Stage to audiences across the country. Yolanda is the Worship Leader/Music Director at the church she attends, a member of Sigma Alpha Iota International Women’s Music Fraternity and the Westchester Chamber Soloists Orchestra. She holds a B.A. in Voice (Music Performance) and an M.A. in Arts Administration with a focus on Fundraising and Events and is the author of various publications and articles on topics in fundraising and philanthropy.

Cheryl Katon (she, her)
Cheryl has robust experiences in non-profit management. She currently serves as the Vice President of Resource Development and Donor Engagement at Fenway Health. She identified as bi-gender for much of her adult life, and through that lens was able to comfortably bring experiences from her male identity to inform and female identity and vice versa. She worked professionally for the Boy Scouts of America for 27 years, she held many positions throughout New England, NYC and Philadelphia, including Executive Director in Greater Boston. Her work for the BSA was punctuated with bold inclusive actions to help unlock the curriculum for all families. Ultimately creating a string of camps that provided BSA adjacent programs for families of all means, abilities, gender, racial and spiritual experiences. Her professional experiences informed her volunteer work for the trans community. As a volunteer in the trans community, which also spanned decades, she lead several trans organizations to become larger, more sustainable and visible.  

Today, Cheryl finds peace and comfort with her singular gender expression and identity. She remains involved in several non-profits and puts her full complement of skills and energy toward her responsibilities at Fenway Health. When she is not at work or volunteering, she is practicing a healthier work life balance with her wife of 28 years and visiting with their grown children.

Login information will be sent one day in advance of the program.

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