I was a camper and counselor at Eagle’s Nest for 16 years from 1990 until 2006. I started giving to Eagle’s Nest in my first year as a counselor in 2000 because I could see and knew from experience how great it was for kids to be at camp! But I didn’t know anything about nonprofits or nonprofit fundraising.

In the last 8 years since I graduated from college, I’ve been a professional nonprofit fundraiser for 2 organizations in Seattle and now as the Development Director at an organization in Asheville, NC. As a professional fundraiser, I’ve learned a lot, but one VERY important thing I’ve learned is the value of the fundraising volunteer. Fundraising volunteers can say what staff at nonprofits can’t say… they say that they’re willing to spend their time on something they believe in for free and are willing to do what very few volunteers are excited to do… call people to ask for their support!

But being a fundraising volunteer for Eagle’s Nest is just about the easiest fundraising volunteer job EVER. Not only do I believe in the organization and how it plays an important role in shaping responsible, community-minded adults, but I also REALLY enjoy talking to other people who have been impacted by Eagle’s Nest. Former campers, current campers, OA students, alumni, parents, people I knew, and complete strangers, it’s always fun to talk to another Nester.

On Friday after Thanksgiving, former camper/counselor Trustee Amos Barclay, former camper/counselor, OA alum, Trustee Jamey Lowdermilk, and I all met Susan Conley at the Eagle’s Nest office in our hometown of Winston-Salem. Amos is living in NYC and is a lawyer and in a band with other former counselors. Jamey lives in Helena, MT and is a presidential fellow with the forest service. We all took a couple hours away from our families to make 43 fundraising calls to people who had given to Eagle’s Nest before to ask for their support again.

Another thing I’ve learned as a professional fundraiser is the value of individuals giving as a large group to support a mission. Individuals who give unrestricted gifts are the fuel of the engine, the cogs in the wheel, without them the bus just would not roll out. So calling individuals to ask for money is an important volunteer role, and it’s raising money from the most important people!

I got to speak to a camper’s mom, caught up with two people I worked with as counselors, spoke to some OA alums who went to the OA reunion last year, and connected with people who plan to go to the 85th reunion for the foundation next September! Everyone said they could support Eagle’s Nest in some way now or in the future (if I wasn’t leaving a message).

Reliable individual giving is the cornerstone of a high-functioning nonprofit organization. I’m excited to have been a part of helping to raise the funding necessary to support as much work in the Eagle’s Nest community as possible this year!

THANKS to everyone who has given to Eagle’s Nest so far this year. I even got my ask “call” from Amos at our phone-a-thon and wrote my annual check right there. Thanks for what you do to contribute… and feel free to ask Susan for a list of people to call and ask for their support this year too.