Hey Squad!
Since I’m in your inbox or ear from time to time (if I haven’t been, I will be!), I should introduce myself. In late 2015, I started at Team Rubicon as a Volunteer Support Intern on the Membership team. I spent nine months learning as much as I could and in May 2016 I left to take the summer off and get ready for the fall semester at USC (Fight On!).
I was surprised and excited when Matt Scott, TR’s Senior Development Officer, called and offered me a part-time job. If I’m honest, I was nervous, too. Would they take me seriously as an intern-turned-employee? Would it be as rewarding to work with donations and dollars as it was working with volunteers?
I said yes (nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?), and a year after starting my internship, I walked back in the building as the Development Assistant. Turns out, donors are just as excited about Team Rubicon as volunteers are!
Nine months later, I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and stepped into a full-time role as the Annual Fund Development Assistant where, among other things, I help manage programs like the Support Squad and peer-to-peer fundraising. Enough about me, let’s talk about you for a while.
The Support Squad consists of the donors (You and You and You!) who signed up for Team Rubicon’s monthly giving program. There’s nearly a thousand of you! Your donations total more than $20,000 each month and are a reliable form of revenue for the organization. Yay, you x1,000!
I serve as the Squad’s single point of contact. I’ll provide updates on how your donations are being used to kick disaster ass all over the world, answer any questions you have, and, if your credit card is declined, you can be sure I’ll circle back to update that payment information.
In addition to cheering on the Support Squad, I stepped in to help manage the peer-to-peer fundraising. When someone creates a fundraising page for TR, whether it’s a “donate in lieu of birthday gifts” page or “send money while I go get shit done” page, I’m the reach back resource with tips to drive more donations while answering questions about the process.
If you have questions about Support Squad, peer-to-peer fundraising, or anything else, don’t hesitate to ask!
