Laura Campise

Director of Mission Advancement

Catholic Social Services

Q:  Tell us a little about your organization. Mission? Population you serve? What do you like most about working there?  

A: Catholic Social Services is a faith-based social service agency focused on improving the quality of life of people of all faiths and backgrounds during some of the most vulnerable times of their lives. By serving people in ways that help seniors live independent, connected lives and help families thrive, Catholic Social Services continues its 70 year legacy addressing the community’s unmet, pressing needs with compassion and dignity.

Our mission: Motivated by faith, Catholic Social Services helps poor and vulnerable seniors and families reach their potential.

In 2015 Catholic Social Services served 13,000 seniors and families in central and southern Ohio. We serve the 23 counties of the Columbus Diocese and have five locations in: Franklin, Licking, Muskingum and Scioto Counties.

I like working with a group of people that have a similar vision and goals. Our core values (compassion, impact, excellence, respect and courage) are a vital part who we are, and we carry out those values in our daily behavior with each other and our clients. I am motivated to work for a mission that has a purposeful impact and proven results.

Q: How long have you been an AFP member, and what has your involvement been?

A: I became an AFP member in 2013, when I worked at the Mount Carmel Foundation. I have participated in a number of the offered workshops/seminars/trainings throughout the years, and recently received my CFRE in 2015.

Q:  What do you consider the most valuable part of your AFP membership?

A:  The opportunity to network and share best practices with my colleagues has been invaluable to me and has had a positive impact on my work and success.

Q:  How long have you been in fundraising, and how did you get into it?      

A: I started fundraising in 1996 when I ran the Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence Program at The OSU Medical Center—I am a social worker and fell into fundraising (i.e., grant writing) in order to create sustainable operating dollars for the program.

Q:  What is your favorite part about living/working in Columbus? Favorite restaurant?

A:  Columbus has been a great place to raise my family. I believe Columbus is an open community, and I have had numerous career opportunities and growth. Columbus is philanthropic and it’s been an honor to get to know the many people I have met during my fundraising tenure (individuals and corporate and foundation leadership).

Q:  Tell us a fun fact about you that other AFP members wouldn’t know.

A: I am a proponent of single-sex education. I am proud to have graduated from an all women’s college—Saint Mary’s College in Indiana.

Posted: November 2016

www.childhoodleague.org

(As told to us by Nicole Papa Odegaard, Director of Advancement)

Q. Tell us a little about your organization. Mission? Population you serve?

A: 70+ Years Strong! Founded in 1945, The Childhood League Center cares about children in need. This was our original mission and we remain true to it today. The Childhood League Center provides the best in early childhood education, interventions and therapies for children with and without special needs. Children learn together and from one another in fully inclusive classrooms, and we celebrate the strengths of each child. Central to our mission are families, and we work together to ensure they feel confident in their ability to help their child and to be lifelong advocates, well beyond their years with us here.

It’s an approach that works. On average, 45% of our youngest children catch up to their typically developing peers by age three and no longer qualify for services. The same holds true for our preschool children by the time they graduate. The impact this has on that child and their family is significant, but this also greatly affects the future for our school districts, communities and future workforce.

Q. What has your involvement with AFP been?

A: Nicole has been a member of the Central Ohio Chapter since 2010 and serves on the AFP of Central Ohio’s Board of Directors. Peter Tripp, the Director of Community Development is also a member. We believe AFP is instrumental in creating a community with the most highly qualified fundraising professionals!

Q:  Does your organization have anything special going on? Tell us about it!

A:  The Childhood League Center is in the final stages of a comprehensive capital campaign that will culminate in our re-location to a new facility in January 2017. This building will more than double our current space to 40,000 square feet on 4 acres on the historic Fort Hayes campus. Our classrooms will increase from 6 to 10, increasing children served at The Center by 100 with the opportunity to serve more in the community as well. Our new campus will provide an incredible outdoor environment unlike any other in the nation that will ignite exploration and wonder for our students. Our campaign is a total of $14.4 million and is a combination of philanthropy, New Markets Tax Credit proceeds and the sale of our current building. The campaign total includes construction costs, an operating reserve and a contribution to our sustainability fund.

Posted October 2016

Julie Naporano

Director of Philanthropy

Homeport

Q:        Tell us a little about your organization. Mission? Population you serve? What do you like most about working there?  

A:         Homeport is an affordable housing developer who provides Central Ohio’s low-income families with needed housing and education so families and seniors can have sustainable affordable homes in safe neighborhoods where kids can grow up secure, parents can go to and from work, and seniors can grow old with dignity. We will be celebrating 30 years of development next year with a mission of building homes that center on the individual, with the understanding that providing a roof over someone’s head is only the start of a strong home and community. The people that work for Homeport are incredibly passionate about our work and we share client success stories every week. Putting a face on the mission is so important and Homeport is the organization that cares about each and every resident that lives with us.

Q:        How long have you been an AFP member, and what has your involvement been?

 A:        I have been involved with AFP for almost 3 years and serve on the Education Committee.

Q:        What do you consider the most valuable part of your AFP membership?

A:        I really enjoy the monthly meetings that provide not only a variety of educational opportunities but keep me updated on fundraising trends, the marketplace, best practices, and is a place where we in the industry can gain feedback.

Q:        How long have you been in fundraising, and how did you get into it?      

A:        I have been involved in fundraising for almost 12 years. My background is actually in accounting. After thoroughly enjoying time home with our two children I started back to work part time working with a large local caterer. Then I started working for non-profit organizations helping build new fundraising events, freshen existing events and starting new initiatives such as endowment funds or capital campaigns.  I enjoy the challenge that working for a non-profit brings and the passion of each great cause.

Q:        What is your favorite part about living/working in Columbus? Favorite Restaurant?

A:        My husband and I moved to Columbus, from New Jersey, as a stopping point for his career. We ended up falling in love with the city as a great place to raise our family while still being able to enjoy the arts and culture that we grew to like while living so close to NYC.  I love all the new pop up restaurants, the great art outlets, local sports, the museums, and the general feeling from the people that live here as loving life.

Q:        Tell us a fun fact about you that other AFP members wouldn’t know.

 A:        Ironically, I grew up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin but am lactose intolerant.

www.equitashealth.com

(As told to us by Michele Gregory, Chief Advancement Officer)

Q. Tell us a little about your organization. Mission? Population you serve?

A. Equitas Health (formerly AIDS Resource Center Ohio) is a not-for-profit community-based healthcare system founded in 1984. We recently expanded our mission and services to include a specialization in LGBTQ health & wellness as well as other medically underserved Ohioans, while continuing to provide the HIV care and prevention services we have always provided to our community. Equitas comes from Latin origins, meaning justice, fairness, and equity. These values have always been core to our mission; our new name now puts them front-and-center. We are proud of our more than 30 years of dedication to our mission leading the fight against HIV/AIDS. Our expanded mission is to be the gateway to good health for those at risk of or affected by HIV/AIDS, for the LGBTQ community, and for those seeking a welcoming healthcare home. We are excited to embrace this expanded mission as a step not only to further our legacy, but also to provide care for all. We serve more than 45,000 individuals in Ohio each year through our diverse healthcare and social service delivery system focused around: primary and specialized medical care, behavioral health, HIV/STI prevention, advocacy, and community health initiatives.

Q.   What has your involvement with AFP been?

A.   AFP has been a steadfast resource and support for me during my 20+ development career. I joined the Central New York chapter in 1995 then became an international AFP member in 2001 and a Central Ohio chapter member in 2011. I had the pleasure of serving as an AFB Board member, in the role of Resource Directory Chair, from 2013-2015.

Q.   Does your organization have any special events coming up? Tell us about them!

A.   Art For Life, September 24, 2016: Art for Life is currently the largest charity art auction in central Ohio. It is longest running, biennial fundraising gala benefitting Equitas Health. This year, we joined forces with the Pizzuti Collection and Columbus Museum of Art to showcase local and national artists, all with ties to Ohio. For more information, visit www.artforlife.arcohio.org.

RED Dayton, October 15, 2016: RED Dayton Table Design Gala is a biennial event produced by and to benefit Equitas Health. RED Dayton will highlight the talents, creativity, and imagination of the area’s top artists and designers. This year’s theme for the table decorations is “Idols and Icons”. For more information, visit www.reddayton.com.

Reason to Dine, December 1, 2016: A Reason To Dine is an event held in Columbus, Dayton, and Toledo on Worlds AIDS day to promote HIV/AIDS awareness by encouraging people to dine at local restaurants for a great cause. Information on participating restaurants is coming soon. Visit www.facebook.com/AReasonToDine for updates.

Posted September 2016

www.furniturebankcoh.org 

(As told to us by Sarah Rooney, Director of Development)

Q. Tell us a little about your organization. Mission? Population you serve?

A. The Mission of the Furniture Bank of Central Ohio is to provide furniture to central Ohio families and individuals struggling with poverty and other severe life challenges. Our Vision is for all central Ohio families to live in furnished homes, thereby relieving suffering, strengthening family units, improving quality of life and building a better community. Community collaborations and resource sharing make this possible on an ongoing basis. We serve about 4,000 low-income families a year in Central Ohio with our services. Families are referred into us through a social service or religious organization and get to come to our warehouse and choose 14-16 pieces of furniture that we deliver to their home that same day. Last year we partnered with Graco’s Cribs for Kids program so if a family comes in with an expectant mother or has a child under 1, they also get a pack n play with a safe sleep kit. This is our way of helping to lower the high infant mortality rate we have in Central Ohio. We have 2-3 trucks out every day picking up furniture for our families as well as 2 trucks delivering furniture to families. The majority of our donated furniture comes from individuals, but we also collect stuff from furniture stores, hotels and businesses. We only accept gently used furniture – it has to be free of rips, stains and pet hair. Our volunteer-run woodshop makes about 12% of the furniture we give away each year using wood that is donated from Sauder, in Archibald, OH. The Woodworkers of Central Ohio (WOCO) designed our bed frames, dressers and tables then created jigs to be able to create these pieces. WOCO has a Tuesday and Wednesday crew that comes in to build bed frames and dressers, and the additional items – kitchen tables, coffee tables and chairs – are built by the more than 2,000 volunteers we have throughout the community.

We recently opened a social enterprise thrift store, Furniture with a Heart, at 2165 Morse Rd. It is our way of diversifying our funding sources and becoming more self-sufficient as an organization. We sell mainly furniture but we also have home goods and a little clothing. All proceeds from the store go directly into our mission to help more families. That website is www.furniturewithaheart.org.

Q. What has your involvement with AFP been?

A. I have been a member with AFP for a couple of years now. I became a member while I worked at Ohio State and then renewed my membership when I came to the Furniture Bank. I have been to 1 international conference and several local meetings and events and love what AFP provides for fundraising professionals. It’s a great place to network and benchmark new ideas for your organization.

Q. Does your organization have any special events coming up? Tell us about them!

A. We have our largest fundraiser, Big Hearts, coming up September 9th from 6-11pm! It will be at Strongwater on 401 W. Town St. There will be a live band, The Sly Band, food, drinks and a silent auction. For tickets visit our website www.furniturebankcoh.org/bighearts.

Volunteers from Woodworkers of Central Ohio Tuesday/Wednesday Build Crew

Posted August 2016