I raise money and awareness through marketing strategies (PR, events, etc.) for "Education Through Music" (ETM), a NYC-based non-profit org that implements music education programs into inner-city schools that do not have any arts programming.

EDUCATION | BA in English from Boston College

HOW TO GET STARTED | The burnout rate for fundraising is incredibly high. Be prepared for it to be incredibly frustrating, but also incredibly rewarding. You definitely cannot be afraid to be pushy, to call people you don't know and to not take no for an answer, when you are working to get money/auction items/support, etc.

MUST HAVE TRAITS | Creativity, the ability to "bs" and keep a smile on your face no matter what, talk people into doing anything (i.e. volunteering, donating money, in-kind donations, their name to the cause), good written and verbal skills & definitely a sense of humor.

how I got started | After I graduated from college, I spent a year living in Tahoe working at a ski resort. When I moved back to Boston, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do - I always liked to write and I liked organizing parties and events in college, so I thought PR might be a good fit. I started off in an assistant position at an events-planning firm in Boston and after a couple of months was hired as a PR and Marketing Assistant at Harvard. I learned so much from my boss there and really enjoyed working on the non-profit side. In 2002, my then-boyfriend (now husband) was transferred to NYC, and I got a job at a PR agency in New York specializing in beauty and healthcare products. I realized that I DISLIKED working on the agency side - mostly because I disliked having needy clients to deal with! And also I never felt comfortable selling things like anti-aging creams and diet pills to consumers - we basically had to think of ways to make women feel badly about themselves so that they would buy our clients "products" and I began looking for jobs in non-profits, specifically arts-based non-profits. I was hired in the Development Office at the Metropolitan Opera and worked on individual giving campaigns, as well as events and with their Young Associates group. In 2005 I was hired to manage the marketing and events department at Education Through Music.

why this job?| I kind of fell into this, however, I enjoy the creativity that goes along with this job, as well as the knowledge that I am (at least trying!) to do my part in helping to improve the education system, something I think desperately needs fixing in this country.

why I love this job!| My boss - I always said that working for a woman is a million times harder than working for a man - but she is great and supportive and lets me try anything. The creativity that goes along with not having a lot of money to get projects done (so we have to be creative) and meeting so many interesting and interested people.

my typical day| There is really no "typical day". It can be anything from being out in a school in the South Bronx with a camera crew for a TV segment, to meeting with potential supporters to writing letters/making phone calls on behalf of the organization. Right now I am focused on securing corporate and individual sponsorships for our May Gala, our largest fundraising event of the year. We start planning it a year in advance and things start to get really busy in January and will stay busy with this project through May.

what they are | Fundraising is very difficult, especially in NYC, where the competition for donation money is intense. Also, the pay is around 70% of what people on the agency or in-house side are paid (but the hours are usually less!). Also, if you work for a smaller non-profit (as I do), you will most likely be making your own copies/scheduling your own meetings/stuffing your own envelopes, because there is never any money to hire an assistant.

all about growth | I think as the economy sours, the demand for development/PR positions, especially in non-profits, is going to slow - many orgs that relied on the big banks for the majority of their fundraising are in serious trouble, and many have already shut down or laid off a number of their work force. Things like PR/Marketing/Events are always the first things that get cut in tough times, regardless of what industry you are in. I think there can be room for promotion within the non-profit world, but it typically means a move to another organization, since unless it's a very large non-profit the development department is usually only a handful of people, and the people in the more senior positions tend to stay there a long time (the burnout rate I talked about earlier is typically among entry and mid-level employees).

my website| http://www.ETMonline.org