Career Cheat Code
Welcome to Career Cheat Code, a podcast that explores the stories of everyday people making an impact in the world through their careers and loving every minute of it. Whether you're already on your path or searching for your purpose, this podcast is for you.
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Career Cheat Code
054 | Fundraising with Purpose feat Dadjie Saintus
When the seeds of education and resilience sprout in an immigrant's heart, they can bloom into a transformative force for global good. Dadjie Saintus, UNICEF USA's deputy director of philanthropy, embodies this journey—her story a tapestry woven with threads of ambition, service, and strategic philanthropy. With roots firmly planted in the Haitian community and the nourishment of life-changing high school programs, Dadjie's narrative takes us from the vibrant classrooms of Harvard to the mission-driven halls of Columbia University, and beyond. Her evolution into a change agent is a testament to the power of education, intentional networking, and the inexorable pull of a career in making a difference.
Harmonizing the chords of community spirit and academic rigor, Dadjie's collegiate chapter at Harvard University was underscored by the melodic unity of the Kuumba Singers. Her voice resonated with a deep understanding of human behavior, further enriched by her travels to Paris and later, her commitment to Teach for America. As we trace her trajectory through pivotal roles at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, you'll grasp the intricate dance of fundraising and the strategic orchestration of educational campaigns, which laid the groundwork for her leap into global development. Dadjie's story is not just one of ascending career ladders but of building bridges that span the divide between philanthropic intent and tangible impact.
Yet, it’s in the global arena where Dadjie's passion for philanthropy radiates its brightest. She sketches the contours of a career transition into UNICEF, crafting a role that marries her skills with her heartfelt mission to uplift children worldwide. From the heartwarming endeavors to establish childcare centers in Rwanda to bolstering literacy in Zambia, her efforts are a beacon for aspiring world-changers. Dadjie’s experience, shared with candor and insight, serves as a masterclass in the art of global development—a career path not just selected but also savored, sculpting a better future with each strategic step and genuine connection. Join us to explore the very fabric of a life dedicated to service, stitched together with wisdom, warmth, and the unwavering belief in the power of collective action.
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Host - Radhy Miranda
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Producer - Gary Batista
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A cheap code that comes to mind that I would love to emphasize along these lines. That has been really helpful for me is just being intentional about building your own career circle, so having you know a handful of friends and people that you trust that you can discuss next steps in your career, and being very proactive and intentional about cultivating that circle. It's just been so beneficial to me.
Speaker 2:Welcome to Career Cheat Code. In this podcast, you'll hear how everyday people impact the world through their careers. Learn about their journey, career hacks and obstacles along the way. Whether you're already having the impact you want or are searching for it, this is the podcast for you, All right. So, Daji, welcome to the show.
Speaker 1:Thank you, Raddy. Thanks so much for having me. I'm thrilled that we're going to be able to talk today.
Speaker 2:Same here. Yeah, no, we've been connected since grad school, so we'll talk a little bit about that later. But you know, let's dive right in there, let's tell the world what it is you do for a living.
Speaker 1:Sure. My name is Daji Santis and, as the deputy director of philanthropy for the Mid-Atlantic region with UNICEF USA, I raise money and build philanthropic partnerships with individual donors and family foundations to invest in UNICEF's programs for children around the world. I envision a world where every child can fulfill his or her potential. So for me, through my work, I feel privileged that I'm able to help increase opportunities for children every day.
Speaker 2:That's awesome. That sounds like a really amazing mission-aligned job, and I've known you for a while so I know that that has been kind of true to your core for quite some time. Is this what you always wanted to do for a living.
Speaker 1:Short answer is that I had no idea that this is the type of work I would be doing today, so I can say that my journey to philanthropy was not straightforward.
Speaker 2:Let's backtrack a little bit. Where were you born? Where were you raised? What was your upbringing like?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I was born in Port-au-Prince, haiti, and my family immigrated to the US when I was around four. My parents wanted a better life for our family and more opportunities for me and my older brother. We were what you would think of as your typical immigrant family. We didn't have a lot of means, but education was a big deal and my parents were always encouraging me and my brother to make that our priority, to work hard. In school. They really taught us that education is the doorway to a better future. So that's what brought us to this country. And then I'll just mention I attended Boston Latin High School, which is a magnet school. It's an exam school in Massachusetts, very rigorous. So I think that experience challenged me a lot academically and pushed me to think very critically, and I can share just a couple of experiences that I had in high school that I think came back.
Speaker 1:That'd be great. Yeah, if that's helpful.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:The first one is that I was involved in STEM so science, technology, engineering, math and there was one program that I did called Project Success, and it was all about preparing underrepresented students for biomedical careers.
Speaker 1:So at the time I was considering becoming a doctor, and so through that program I completed internships in science labs, competed in science fairs citywide, statewide, and also made some really great friends that I consider lifelong friends to this day.
Speaker 1:So I think that really helped to shape me in terms of my academics. And then the other side to another influential experience I had was actually a class that I took while I was in high school and it was called Facing History in Ourselves, and this class is about teaching students how to reflect and ask questions about the world, to think critically, to understand where we've come from, what the history is around our society and then also how you can become more civically engaged. So the whole idea of the class and it's a product of a nonprofit organization called Facing History in Ourselves but the whole idea is to promote this idea of becoming change agents and the model is people make choices, choices make history. So then, as an individual, what kind of choices are you going to make? So I would say those are some of the experiences that were formative in my studies and just as I was making my way through school into college.
Speaker 2:That sounds like a great level of exposure at that young age, right To realize the impact that you can have and how you can be very intentional about how you lead your life and your professional path so that you have that impact and you can make that history.
Speaker 1:Yeah, totally, and I think one of the takeaways for me was, just as a young person particularly for young people who may be coming from backgrounds where they may not always be exposed how important it is to look for those opportunities that might be open to you through your school or through your neighborhood to take advantage of internships. Those were a game changer for me, for sure, and just opened my eyes to more career opportunities, just more exposure, and help to form my thinking.
Speaker 2:That makes a lot of sense to me. So you're about to graduate high school, you're senior, you're looking to is college automatically the thing that you're like. I'm going to go to college and I heard STEM, I heard doctor in there. What are you thinking, at age 17, that you're going to be for the rest of your life?
Speaker 1:Right, right. Well, college definitely was the priority, going back to just my upbringing and how important education as a theme was in my life, and particularly with my parents. There wasn't an alternative, I'll put it that way and so there was really that focus on succeeding and doing as well as you can. So I was able to lean into resources at my high school. There was guidance, counseling and support for those of us as we were applying to college and all of those things that I think are so important writing your essays, all of those things and I think, because I had a really strong academic background, I had been able to participate in these internships and these academic platforms that allowed me to excel. I was able to apply and ultimately was accepted and attended Harvard University, and so that's where I went to college. And I will say you mentioned the fact that at one point I was thinking of becoming a doctor and ultimately, what I ended up choosing to major in and concentrate my time was psychology, and that was in a large part influenced by the facing history class that I took honestly, because what I really became interested in is people and studying, you know, human beings, human thought and behavior, what drives us, how we relate to one another and the choices that we make. And so that was ultimately what I landed on, and I went to Harvard and studied psychology and also completed a citation in French, which is essentially like a minor. While I was there, you know, continued to conduct and engage in, you know, some of the science work. I was, you know, doing research, and you know, this time it's social science, psychology labs, you know, helping to contribute to academic research papers.
Speaker 1:But one, I mean a couple of things I would say that stood out from my college years. One was taking advantage of a study abroad program in Paris, and so I, you know, spent a summer there studying French language and literature, and I think I just would want to, you know, encourage people and young people when you're, you know, in college, just how incredible, you know, those types of opportunities are if you're able to go abroad and to study, because then you're immersing yourself in another culture and it also challenges you to stretch and to adapt and to learn. So that was one, and then the other experience I would say that stands out from my college years, you know. Besides, you know, all the things that I learned academically was also recreationally.
Speaker 1:I was involved in a choir called the Kumba Singers of Harvard College all four years. So Kumba is a choir that is now over 50 years old and it's dedicated to celebrating the creativity and spirituality of black people. The thing that I would say about that experience was that, you know, the choir, when it was founded, was in the wake of the assassination of Dr Martin Luther King, and it provided a safe space for black students at Harvard to come together and, to you know, connect over song and musical expression. Over the years it's become a family, and so I think during my time as a student, you know our twice a week rehearsals was that space where I could go to, you know, unwind and to connect and to laugh and to sing and to be uplifted spiritually. We had Christmas and spring concerts, we went on tours together and you know, I served on the choirs board as an undergrad and then, to this day, I remain involved in our alumni community.
Speaker 1:So I think, you know, reflecting back on my college years, I just think it's so important to consider, you know, in addition to the academics, in addition to, you know, taking advantage of experiences to stretch, like studying abroad, also just thinking about what does community look like for you? What is your home away from home? Where do you find yourself? You know what are those spaces that provide that social, emotional support and that connection. I found that at CUMBA and I think that helped to enrich my years as a college student. Wow.
Speaker 2:Were you a singer before you got to college.
Speaker 1:I sang at church and you know, I think, singing, you know, I think let's take that term broadly, because the amazing thing about CUMBA is that it's a non-addition choir, so the emphasis is really about creating a space where everyone is invited. It's also very diverse, even as its focus is on celebrating Black cleavage spirituality. Anyone is welcome, and so I was an alto as part of a strong cohort of altos in the choir, but you know, we had people who were exceptionally musically gifted, but then that wasn't. But it wasn't about that. It was about, you know, our love of music, at whatever level you are, and you know being in a space where you could feel that you belong and you can celebrate that together. So for me it was just as much about it's the music, but also it's the fellowship in the community. That's amazing.
Speaker 2:I also definitely appreciate the fellowship in community and just always fascinated by people that are so multifaceted and layered right that can go in ace of psychology class one day and then go at night and sing their hearts out. That's pretty cool, so that's awesome.
Speaker 1:Well, thank you, it was a lot of fun.
Speaker 2:I'm sure and clearly right and clearly, it was meaningful enough for you that you're also involved with them to this day, so that speaks volumes about the community that it built. So tell me what happens now. You're about to graduate Harvard senior year. You are now 21, 22 years old. What do you think is going to happen after college and what actually happens?
Speaker 1:Yeah, see, the funny thing is, you know, I would say, in the large number of cases, what you think is going to happen is not what happens. And so I think something that I've learned over my career is to be open and to understand that it's a journey and there necessarily isn't a blueprint. You are developing your career in seasons and in stages, and so what I had initially thought about when I was graduating was I was considering OK, do I want to go to graduate school, do I want to go into academia as a psychology researcher? And ultimately, where I landed was that. Going back to this, you know, I think what had been just part of what drives me is this idea of you know how can we make an impact, and you know, the idea is from my facing history class about making change and being a change agent, and so I wanted to have that immediate impact, and so that ultimately led me to Teach for America, which is this nonprofit organization that is dedicated to closing the educational achievement gap and helping to, you know, create this movement of, you know, leaders and people who are passionate advocates about, you know, educational opportunities for young people. So I applied and was accepted to TFA. That brought me to New York City where I was then a frontline teacher and I taught third grade in the Bronx for two years.
Speaker 1:I will say you know my time, you know, with TFA and working in that school was, you know, some of the toughest years of my early career. It was eye-opening in terms of being able to see, you know firsthand, you know what are the issues that are impacting our inner-city schools. My school was, you know, very underfunded and you know I had students in my classroom who were coming in with so much, you know, curiosity. You know they had different talents and skills, but they also, you know, had to overcome a lot of obstacles, and you know there were. You know I had students in my classroom who were coming from very diverse backgrounds. Some of them spoke different languages, so there might have been barriers in, you know, their understanding and their language barriers Also had students who you know had, you know, some learning challenges to overcome as well. Some of them were performing below grade level.
Speaker 1:So then you're an educator, you know, wanting to meet the needs of all the students that are different in your classroom and help them to succeed.
Speaker 1:So that experience taught me that you need to be resourceful and also to rely on your peers. We had, thankfully, a strong cohort of teachers at my school who shared resources with each other. We, you know, collaborated on lessons where we could, and we, you know, went that extra mile, to that extra step, whatever it was needed to help our students reach their abilities and to do as well as they could. And so I think, just taking a step back and saying it was definitely an eye-opening experience, but showed what's possible If you don't give up on our young people and invest in their education and help them. And I think, for me, you know, knowing that education has played such an important role in shaping my life, it was also my way of ensuring that I could give back and to serve the next generation, and it has given me a lot of admiration and respect for teachers who are on the front lines doing this work every day.
Speaker 2:Absolutely so. We've interviewed some people that have gone through Teach for America. Some of them have said that you know, they knew going in that they were open to the possibility of teaching for the rest of their careers. Some said, you know, I don't know that I'll necessarily stick around in teaching, but I think it would be a helpful experience in seeing what the how that works and how the school system works and what some of those challenges are with the underfunding that I can then bring that knowledge and do something about it in a different space.
Speaker 1:That's right.
Speaker 2:Where were you in that spectrum?
Speaker 1:That's a good question. I think I walked in not knowing, you know at the time, if Education or being a teacher is something that I would commit to lifelong. I think when I walked out it was clear to me that I wasn't necessarily called to be a classroom teacher, but it did make me, you know, a lifelong advocate for education and educational opportunities. It's something that I'm able to do in my job now. I know we'll talk a little bit later about what I currently do, but even in my current role, which is more focused around global opportunities for children, a core component of that is ensuring children have access to education.
Speaker 1:Education has been a through line, you know, throughout my life, and I think TFA, you know one of the pillars of that, and so I think you know the experience really does help to build this movement of leaders across all professions, wherever they go to next, whether it's law, government, you know, stay in the nonprofit space for business. But we have this, you know, first hand. You know understanding from our own experiences of what the challenges are and that puts in this in a position where we can be these advocates and look for ways, you know, through our you know current work or current abilities and networks and you know what we have access to to be able to help to move the needle on increasing opportunities for children in their education.
Speaker 2:That makes sense to me. Okay, so you do teach for America for about two years? Yeah, and tell me about that transition out of the classroom. How were you able to do that?
Speaker 1:Yeah. So, you know, once I finished TFA, I knew that I wanted to remain in social impact, you know, more broadly speaking, mission-driven work. That, I think, is something that you know speaks to my values. It's something that I consider essential for any work that I do. The path wasn't clear.
Speaker 1:Going back to a little bit of what we were talking about before and the journey to philanthropy, you know it really was this journey, and so I completed internships in short-term staffing roles as I was trying to figure out, you know, what comes next. It wasn't easy, you know. I definitely went through a period of time where I wasn't working full-time, but leaning into those internship opportunities again helped me to make that pivot and that change. One of the internships that had a bigger impact was one that I completed at an organization called GBC Health, which is an organization that mobilizes the business sector to advance global health, and so, by, you know, working there, it actually opened the door for me to learn more about social impact, partnership and the power of, you know, leveraging, you know partnerships in philanthropy.
Speaker 1:I specifically, you know, took part in an initiative called Healthy Women, healthy Economies and was able to work on 10th anniversary conference that brought together, you know, business leaders and organizations to talk about? How can we, as a sector, drive more resources and investments into global development initiatives that will improve the lives of women, improve the lives of, you know, families living in poverty, improve the lives of children? So laying a lot, I think, of some of the seeds into areas that I would be really interested in over the years to come. You know, after GBC, health was really then when I transitioned and started to work at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and I, you know, was at Columbia for the next seven plus years or so and that's where I really learned the nuts and bolts of philanthropy major gifts, fundraising and built my career and track record from the ground up there.
Speaker 2:Well, yeah, and that's where our paths crossed. So that's where our paths crossed. We were both working at Columbia University in very different roles and also ended up going to CIPA together right now.
Speaker 1:Yes, we sure did.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so you know, and I appreciate that we had very different roles because I think higher ed is one of those spaces where you can work in higher ed your entire career and have like 17 different career paths 100%, If not more if not more, especially with an organization like Columbia that also has the medical center side.
Speaker 2:That's right. You can literally spend every year of your career doing something completely different and not be bored and learn so much. That's right. Yeah, so tell us, what were you doing during that time? Ultimately, what were your responsibilities right? And how does an organ, how does working at Columbia, expose you to philanthropy and to grants? So tell me about your role there.
Speaker 1:You know, as I mentioned, you know my time at Columbia was formative in terms of shaping my background in fundraising and philanthropy. You know I started an entry level role providing a lot of support to, you know, frontline fundraisers across a number of different areas where we were helping to raise resources for academic research, for, you know, cancer research, for pediatrics. I mean it was pretty broad in terms of all of the different areas where people are seeking care, and so that really exposed me to a lot of different health priorities and initiatives and then also how to engage individuals we call them grateful patients, but really those who are seeking care at the medical center, you know how to then be able to engage them in being able to invest in, you know, the research, the doctors, the initiatives that are helping to develop cures and treatment for various diseases and areas where they were seeking care. So very rich, a lot to learn and immerse myself. I immerse myself in all of that and then at the same time, over the years, I was able to participate in two campaigns at Columbia and I think those, the campaign experiences, are what really opened my eyes to the power of philanthropy.
Speaker 1:So one was a capital campaign for a new medical and graduate education building that exists to train medical students.
Speaker 1:And so when I took part in that, I was, you know, supporting my boss who was one of the lead fundraisers for the campaign, and so I was learning so much from working with her, you know, working across our department on, you know, raising funds for that education building and to see it come to fruition and be part of you know that.
Speaker 1:You know opening night events, you know where we're dedicating the building and helping to make that happen. So that was the first one. And then the second campaign was we celebrated a campaign around Columbia's medical schools 250th anniversary, and at that point I was able to play a much more direct role, a more frontline role, working with my boss and our department on the 250th anniversary campaign, which was year long, and the focus for that campaign was ultimately to raise scholarship support for medical students to make it possible for students of any background to come to Columbia, you know, without the burden of having to pay tuition, and so that experience showed me you know how philanthropy can help to eliminate barriers that for, you know, students, for people who are coming from backgrounds where they may not have been able to have access to a school like Columbia to be able to come and learn and go to medical school without the burden of debt. So that was very transformational for me to be a part of that and seeing that come to life.
Speaker 2:I appreciate you sharing that, because I know One of the things that was fascinating to me about your role when we first came across each other was I was kind of earlier on in my career and I think I'd remember not quite piecing together why these fundraising campaigns were needed. Because you're like yeah.
Speaker 2:Well, the university has an endowment, it has so much money, money. Think about, okay, well, what happens when you're trying to do specific research to solve things like a cancer treatment, a new cancer treatment, or or get access to for some of these scholarships for For students to come into the medical field and right this, or build a whole new Building, as you said, right like, or a new lab and like. Those things just were not front and center to my mind. At that point, I remember being so fascinated that within Columbia, there are people dedicated to trying to raise funds for those specific things, because, while the university as a whole this is large ecosystem and has an endowment, in a house with these things, there are specific needs by different departments that advance to work in their field, right, whether that's the.
Speaker 2:School of International Public Affairs, which we'll talk about shortly, or the Medical Center, right Like. There are things that people are, you know, world-class and working on and advancing in their, in their realm, that need funding. Yeah, so you know it's. Fascinating to me to see people like you, dedicated to making that happen and just exposing me to a career path that I had never heard of before.
Speaker 2:Absolutely you ended up going a spoiler and you ended up going to Tell me why you went to grad school. What did you go to grad school for, and Did you get what you wanted out of it?
Speaker 1:Mmm, yeah, so that's where we bet. But, to you know, backtrack a little bit as to what led me to grad school at Columbia. So, you know, while I was, you know, in New York, you know I had been working in the nonprofit space for a bit, and then at Columbia and higher ed. I want to say, you know, at the same time, I was also doing a lot of volunteer work that allowed me to explore more deeply my passions and the areas where I realized I was increasingly Wanting to commit myself to. So I was volunteering with organizations called World Vision, which is, you know, international humanitarian aid organization, as well as UN women, and then I also went on to mission trips to Haiti with my local church in New York, and so, you know, I had the opportunity to travel with a team to a mirror ballet and Haiti and help to conduct, you know, trainings, provide resources to an orphanage that we, you know, visited and supported and then also just helped to build some of the local capacity. So all of those experiences that was, you know, they're all happening in parallel. As I was working, and, you know, through these, you know, volunteer experiences, I was learning about global poverty, justice issues, health disparities, gender inequality. You know I was helping to raise awareness about those issues, bring people together to advocate around those issues, and so, all this to say, I think you know I reached a time in which I realized that I Wanted to, you know, ultimately that's where I saw myself and where I wanted to be, which is this global development, you know, sector. And so Then that, you know made me think you know, how can I learn more, how can I be more intentional about, you know, getting into that space? And so Columbia School of International Affairs seems like, you know, the perfect opportunity to really Learn, you know, from global development leaders. And then, while the same time, you know, get this, you know, rigorous, you know, education in policy, in the nonprofit management and all of that. And so that's what may be interested in applying to the School of International and Public Affairs. And then, great, I'm so grateful.
Speaker 1:You know, I applied, was accepted, and I think, doing the program the way that you and I did it ready, you know where we were working full-time, but then we were also in the program. I think it was. It added a lot, it was very enriching, I will, I will say that and I think it a lot, added a lot to the experience. It also made it, you know, extremely challenging and hard to be in school and then, to you know, finish the program.
Speaker 1:In my case, you know, I did the program over two years were you going to classes, you know, but fall, spring, summer. But it also meant that I was able to be in a cohort with people like you, you know other Incredibly, you know, motivated and driven social impact professionals and leaders, people from diverse backgrounds, people who were coming from different countries around the world, who worked across, you know, non-profits, government, business, and so that was just such an enriching environment to be able to learn and to then also brought in my network and develop relationships with people who, you know, remain friends to this day absolutely and you know and think that program was, I think, definitely enriching, definitely all the things that you just said.
Speaker 2:I feel like it because we were working Full-time and going to school. I feel like there was a level of appreciation for each other when we did spend time together because it's like we know we have so many other things to do outside of these walls. So that's right. Let's be intentional about going on happy hour, going to Study, going to whatever it is right. But I recognize that like for every single person in there there's a lot that comes with you spending time there. So there's an intention out of there and, like it, just a cohort of people that are just really aligned and Pretty much everyone within our cohort was, as you said, very mission driven and very much like trying to solve world problems in different ways or organizational problems in different ways and but all like really well-intended humans.
Speaker 2:So like that was Fascinating to me and you know, I think one of the biggest career cheat codes that I learned during that time was, if you work in higher edge, for the most part you will probably be able to go back to grad school for, if not free, definitely heavily discounted. So for me the moment I was hired at Columbia University, that was the first thing on my mind. I'm like, oh great, so I'm gonna go to grad school. I don't know what I'm gonna go to grad school for. I didn't know why. I Didn't know. I understood the why, which was like I'm gonna take a full advantage because that is probably the biggest benefit of being An organization like this.
Speaker 2:But, then you know we had a wait period. You had to wait two years before you could apply, yeah, so what I did was spend those, spend that year and a half or so before I had to apply to Really hone in on why I wanted to go to what school and see. But just on all angles Just kept clicking and it just made the most sense and I'm so happy because it Definitely led to this network of people that are still connected to today.
Speaker 1:Yeah, 100%. Yeah, I can relate on everything that you said. I think for me you know the career cheat codes that I take away from you know that whole time period, one on the Volunteering side. I think it's so important to To to do that to serve in your areas of passion and interest, because you know, when I was applying to SIPA, I was able to talk about, you know all the volunteer work I had been doing with World Vision and you and women and going to Haiti, etc. So that was, you know, very much aligned. And then I think you know All the volunteer work that I had been doing allowed me to start to learn about the sector that I realized I was passionate about, to learn the language, to demonstrate that I have experience and have things that I can contribute Within that sector. So I think that paid off when I was applying to SIPA and then, ultimately, later on, when I was applying to work and international NGOs.
Speaker 1:And then to the other point I think the other cheat code that you touched on is you know we were able to take advantage of the fact that we were able to, you know, work at Columbia and then go to school at Columbia and leverage that tuition benefit to do that. So I think for me, like the lesson there is to always be thinking about you know, your professional growth, and then ask yourself you know what does that look like? Is it graduate school? Is it a leadership initiative? And then what are the you know resources that you can leverage to make that happen? Is it you know from your organization and your company? Can they sponsor you? Do they provide benefits that will help to offset costs? And I think you and I were both able to take advantage of that through the master's program at SIPA.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. I think that's, it's definitely and I love, I love the, the volunteering cheat code, because I do think that's a very underrated one, where you can hone in on what it is you actually passionately care about and Recognize that you can do things without it being attached to money, right, and. But just because it's not attached to money doesn't mean it doesn't benefit you professionally, right, so you can be doing something just because it really aligns with you. But, as you said, then you're able to tie that back and say no, but actually this connects to why I want to go to SIPA, why I want to go to grad school, and like how I'm going to leverage that experience and how that shaped my perspective, right. So you know, I think that's a really underrated one and definitely the. You know, go to grad school. If you work at a university and you're not taking advantage of tuition benefits, you're probably doing yourself.
Speaker 1:You're not getting the most out of it. Yeah.
Speaker 2:You're probably, you're probably underpaid, if I'm being honest with you.
Speaker 1:Oh yes, of that education that you get is like another salary, and so we can't I think you know overemphasize just how valuable that is and that is. That is something that you're gonna take with you for the rest of your career, and it pays dividends over time.
Speaker 2:So thank you for that. So you spend about seven years at Columbia. Tell me about the time when you felt like you were ready to transition, to transition out, and how you actually made that happen.
Speaker 1:So it all coalesced right around. You know the time that I was, you know, wrapping up my studies and, you know, graduating from SIPA. There were, you know, some things that happened during that time that played a role in my decision. The most significant thing was a personal one. So I experienced my mother passing away. You know, the last year at SIPA. She passed away due to unexpected health complications and it was a very difficult time. The grief was overwhelming and it brought a lot of things into focus for me. Thankfully, I was able to get through it, I think, you know, primarily because of my faith. I had support, you know, from my church and support from my family, support from my friends and my broader community. But I think one of the things that that time really taught me was not to take anything for granted. Live each day to the full. And so that really got me thinking about where do I want to be, where do I want to go from here? You know, what am I really passionate about? What do I really want to do? At that point, you know I had built this track record. I had developed my skillsets as a fundraiser while I was at Columbia, you know. I think I knew I had these skills that I could bring to the table. But what I wanted to do then was marry my skills with my passion, which had become clear, you know, through all the volunteer work, through the mission trips, through, you know, the SIPA program. My passion was making an impact in global development. So I knew I wanted to take my skillsets as a fundraiser and make an impact in global development and so that's what ultimately led me to look for opportunities in philanthropy in global development.
Speaker 1:I, you know, was applying to a number of different organizations. The funny thing is most of them were based in New York. But then you know, and you know, I would say you know cheat code during that process of applying and considering opportunities, leveraging informational interviews, leveraging your network. So I was talking to peers at SIPA who had worked at, you know, international organizations and had experience, you know working abroad and things like that, getting advice from them. How do you do it? How did you get involved? How did you get in? You know talking to them about that and then also, you know, just leveraging those connections both at SIPA and then you know, through other networks that I was involved with or people I knew through my volunteering. I was leveraging those connections to, you know, ask them about openings and job opportunities, and that ultimately helped me to get interviews with some of the organizations that I applied to, and in other cases I got informational interviews with people who worked at organizations I was interested in. So I think that was all part of that process.
Speaker 1:And then an opening emerged at UNICEF USA. Unicef was an organization that I had kept, you know, a short list of international organizations that I would love to work, and UNICEF was one of them. And so when I saw there was an opening with UNICEF USA, I was immediately interested and was open to the fact that the opening for the role was based in Washington DC. So that was a curveball, but I had, you know, previously, you know, visited DC. I knew it was a city that I really like. In some ways, you know, it felt a little bit familiar. It's a smaller city than New York, so it felt a little bit more familiar to the size of Boston, and you know where I grew up. So that was very comfortable for me.
Speaker 1:And then I liked that, you know, the DC itself, the environment, has such a robust international presence, and so that appealed to me a lot, and so I was open to it and, you know, ultimately applied and in the conversations I was having as I was applying to the role, I was talking about all the things we're talking about now. So you know I was talking about, you know, my time at SIPA. I was talking about some of the work that I had done with World Vision, un Women and volunteering in Haiti. You know, leveraging on some of those experiences to talk up, to demonstrate, you know, my commitment to global development, in addition to talking about my track record as a fundraiser, having worked at Columbia and the campaigns that I took part in. So all of those things came together, I think, in a coherent and compelling story about why I really thought, you know, now is the time to take my skill sets as a fundraiser and be able to contribute to advance UNICEF's global mission for children.
Speaker 2:Got it. I love that. So a few things there. So first, really appreciate you opening up about specifically something as personalized like losing your mom. Right, I remember speaking to you during that time and I know that was. I mean, it is inevitably a very life changing moment. It's one of those markers in your life where, like there was a life before that.
Speaker 2:And you know, I just appreciate you being so open because I think people that are listening or watching this may very well look at you and you're nice in your greatly billed career, that you've earned over this time but, like, sometimes it's easy to lose focus, that there may be ups and downs during the time and that there may be moments in time where, like you, did not know exactly how things were going to play out, but you persevered through it. So I appreciate you sharing that and you appreciate seeing, being able to witness some of your growth since that moment. So that's, that's step number one. Number two you know, I really appreciated what you mentioned about informational interviews, because I do think that's an underrated G code as well.
Speaker 2:I will add that it is equally as important to have those conversations when you don't need anything, because we all have those folks that only hit us up when they need something and like that is kind of annoying. At some point, right, like by the second and third time, there's a pattern and it's like I haven't spoken to you in three years, but now you need something. For here we are. So I would say definitely, even if you're happy with your job and you're happy with what you're doing, that's great. Be intentional about fostering relationships in an organic way that is not disingenuous or disingenuous. So when you contact people, they're not like.
Speaker 2:Oh here goes this person? What do they need?
Speaker 1:It needs to be an exchange, it needs to be, like you said, organic. It shouldn't be transactional and I think to your point, it can feel that way when you're only reaching out when you need something, whereas I think the point that you're making is so valid when you are intentional about cultivating your relationships in your network in an organic way, you maintain those ties and those connections so that there's a back and forth. That happens and maybe at one point it's you that may need advice or help or support in making a transition in your career, or maybe it's the other person, but it's not coming out of the blue, because you maintain that open dialogue and you maintain the relationship.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. And can you speak a little bit more about that moment when you were transitioning? Right, because you mentioned you had to basically package and present this culmination of experiences like SIPA, like volunteering, like work to basically make the case why it makes sense for someone from higher ed to transition into this international organization. Right, and thinking about, like that's not always the easiest, not just a transition from higher ed. I know you and I had those conversations like how are we going to present ourselves to like ultimately position ourselves out of higher ed but also just any industry, right, the more that you're in an industry, the harder, the harder it becomes to get out of it. So, functionally, kind of like, where were you applying to these types of roles? And appreciate you really hitting that point of that intentionality, of how you present your story and how you connect the best for people?
Speaker 1:So I'm going to mention a couple of things. Actually, one, I'm going to take a little bit of a step back and talk about another. You know experience that I had that actually helped me to figure out my story and you know position myself to make that transition. So I, after SIPA, I actually took part in a professional leadership development program called the Princeton Emerging Leaders Program, and so this program I would, you know, recommend you know, to social impact professionals out there. It's worth looking into. I would say another, you know cheap code opportunity in terms of professional development. But over the course of that program, which was year long, it brought together a cohort of you know social impact professionals to talk about you know their professional development, to talk about the impact that they want to have and to learn you know different skills and resources to help them in their leadership growth. And so going through that variance helped me to start to put the pieces of my narrative together for the transition that I would then look to make afterwards. So that's one thing. I would just recommend thinking about those professional development opportunities that can help you be really intentional about your career growth and crafting that narrative.
Speaker 1:But the second thing I would mention. Going back to the cheat code around informational interviews and how valuable that was. So one of the informational interviews that I had was with a peer from SIPA who had worked in the global development space. He knew my background. He was much further along in his career and he gave me some good advice. You know, he said.
Speaker 1:You know, when you're looking to make a career change or pivot, you can think about changing the sector where you're working or you could think about changing the job function that you have. It's hard to do both at the same time, so it's easier to make a transition if you focus on one of them. So, for example, I was someone who was a fundraiser and I was thinking about changing where I was doing the fundraising, the fund, the sector. So changing from higher ed to global development, the through line was fundraising. You could also think about it, you know, from a different angle.
Speaker 1:Somebody who you know works, let's say, in higher ed, but they worked in one skill area, maybe they were a fundraiser, but they want to stay in higher ed and take on a different role in higher ed Through line is that they're in higher ed. It would be harder if you're in higher ed and you're a fundraiser. You want to leave higher ed and you don't want to be a fundraiser, so changing both at the same time. So that helped me to clarify you know how to put the pieces of my narrative together. To say the through line for me is that I'm a fundraiser, I can take that skill set and apply it to a different sector and that's what I want to do. And so those were some of the things. I think the experience I had through the Emerging Leaders Program and then getting that specific piece of advice through my informational interviews helped me then to start to craft that narrative that I was then able to articulate when I was, you know, interviewing for different roles in the global development sector.
Speaker 2:Wow, that's great. So tell me about your role now. What do you do?
Speaker 1:What do I do day to day? It looks different. So, you know, I would say, day to day I am communicating and seeking to engage with the donors in my portfolio with different philanthropic initiatives and ways that they could invest to help to accelerate UNICEF's programs for children. And so in my work as a fundraiser it's really about taking, you know, a long-term, relational approach that goes beyond, you know, transactional giving. A lot of it is about building trust with the you know individuals that I work with, the philanthropists and the family foundations that I engage and, you know, building that track record of trust with them and then thinking about how can we collectively, you know, make an impact through a specific program or partnership. So it looks different, but I can give you some examples in terms of how that, you know, actually manifests. With one family foundation, I am working with them on a three-year initiative where they are funding the establishment of childcare centers in Rwanda to support early childhood development and provide young children with the support they need to have the best start at life. By establishing these childcare centers, it enables then the mothers or the caregivers of these children to be able to go out and work and to provide and support their families and to earn a living. So that's a three-year project that this family foundation is funding. I worked with them in terms of developing the proposal, working with our Rwanda country office, you know, to put together what that initiative would look like, and now we're in the second year of the project, and so I'm managing the relationships in the grant over the course of this project. Another example I would give is more of an individual level. So I work with individual donors as well. There's one individual where I had the opportunity to work with a colleague of mine who is, you know, an expert in plan giving with an individual donor who wanted to have an impact with his legacy at UNICEF, and so we, over the course of conversations with this individual and the individual's financial advisor, we were able to come up with a plan that helped him to direct his estate and, you know, in the area in which he was looking to make an impact, and then also that aligned with UNICEF's priorities, and it was a really special opportunity because he was passionate about girls' education, and particularly in the continent of Africa, and that is a regional priority for UNICEF, and so we were able to create a girls' initiative that will allow this individual to invest, you know, funding from his estate to accelerate UNICEF's programs for girls to help them learn and develop skills across the continent of Africa. So that's more of an individual example. I provided a family example Over across my portfolio, though you know I'm working with individuals and donors on different stages.
Speaker 1:In some cases they may be new donors, in which case I may be looking to have meetings or calls with them to talk about UNICEF's work more broadly, to talk about, you know, the different ways that people can get involved, to invite them to events that we're doing that would allow them to engage.
Speaker 1:And then, if they are donors that I've mentioned that are more established, then I'm really working with them on a specific priority or initiative, on providing ways for them to learn about the impact of their philanthropy sharing reports. You know we're having meetings to talk about ways that they can further invest and then what the goals are for moving the project forward and, you know, continuing to accelerate that impact. The last thing I will mention is that I work with our Meet Atlantic Regional Board, so this is essentially a cohort of critical stakeholders who are donors to our mission, who are leaders in this Meet Atlantic region, and so I'm working with a team to plan, implement, you know quarterly meetings to engage these stakeholders and provide ways that they can help to amplify UNICEF's work as advocates for child rights.
Speaker 2:That's awesome. That sounds like a lot of work, especially when you have this global lens to your work. What's your favorite part of your role?
Speaker 1:Yeah, so oh my gosh, like you said, I often feel like you never be able to learn everything and it's kind of it's always a learning journey for me. It's, you know, very global. There's so many. It's multifaceted, there's just a lot in terms of, you know, the global development space and UNICEF's work. You know covers. You know helping children to survive and thrive. You know, and cross their entire childhood and adolescence in all areas, you know, from their health to education, to ensuring they have opportunities to, you know, succeed and develop skills. They have healthy nutrition, all of those things. I think what makes me most excited is the partnership opportunities. So really thinking about you know how you can work with an individual or, you know, foundation partner on an initiative, and really think about you know how their investment will help to remove barriers or increase opportunities to amplify and accelerate the work that is happening on the ground. And then I would say, being able to see that work happen is incredibly inspiring and exciting for me.
Speaker 1:I had the opportunity to travel to one of our country offices in Zambia, for example, and so when I went to Zambia, I was able to. You know, I saw a number of different ways in which UNICEF is working in the country, working with local partners, working with the government, etc. One that stuck out with me was visiting a school where UNICEF is helping to implement a program called Catch Up, which is a program that allows, you know, students who are following behind in classes to be able to catch up in their learning. Teachers are trained, you know, in a play-based learning methodology and then they, you know, group students together based on their abilities and these really hands-on lessons in numeracy and literacy skills. And so when I was there, I was, you know, I observed a class, I saw the teacher, in theory, working with the students and you know they looked like, you know they were having, you know, so much fun. They were playing games, they were calling out numbers, they were, you know, testing all of these different skills.
Speaker 1:And, you know, over the course of time, this particular project, or this program rather, has helped to make an impact in the districts where it has been rolled out and it has been credited with lifting national literacy rates for the country from 37% to 52%. And so to be able to say, you know, the programs that you know the donors and the partners that I work with are able to fund initiatives you know like Catch Up, like other programs that have a direct result. You know, in children, be able to learn. You know boosting literacy rates, helping children and setting them up to be able to have a better future. That inspires me and that excites me.
Speaker 2:That's amazing. It's clear that you are having a global impact, which is exactly what you sought out to do. I am interested in learning for those that may want to get into this career space as a fundraiser in global development. How much money can one make in that space, given your breadth of career and expertise?
Speaker 1:Yeah, such an important question, right Like because, at the end of the day, I do believe that it's important for you know individuals to be able to, you know, do what they love and then be compensated while for doing what they love.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:I would say that you know there is a range and it may differ from organizations to organizations and so, kind of just speaking, you know kind of more broadly around what one could anticipate, you know. So, anything from if you're a philanthropy officer, you know, starting in the role you know, to becoming, you know, a director or hire. I would say that range is around 75,000 to 150,000. And again, it depends, you know, differs by organization and it differs on where you are in that role. So if you're a philanthropy officer, if you're an assistant director, a deputy director, a director or a senior director or that type of thing, but you know, I would say you know generally 75 to 150,000. And then as you move even higher into higher level roles, you know, maybe a managing director or vice president, then you can, you know, see even higher salaries.
Speaker 2:That's great. Okay, Can you share any forms of media that have impacted you personally or professionally? These can be books, these can be podcasts, these can be newspapers. Whatever you have read, you know, has really kind of guided you or helped you personally or professionally.
Speaker 1:Yes, okay, so there's a lot of resources out there. I can mention a few. So I think, in terms of leadership books and books that are so useful for developing your skills, relationally emotional intelligence, I would recommend Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson and Joseph Grannie and you know a few others who you know. That's an incredible book. And then Dare to Lead by Dr Bernay Brown, or pretty much anything by Bernay Brown has been influential to me. And then I would say, for the job search, when I was applying and looking for roles, what color is your parachute is a classic but really covers you know A to Z, what to you know questions to ask how to approach you know the job search, interviewing, all of those things. So that was super helpful. I would say those in terms of books, a podcast that I listened to that I would highly recommend. It's a leadership podcast. It's called the Craig Groschel Leadership Podcast and I've learned so much from Craig Groschel's leadership and he interviews, you know, people who are leaders in their fields and so I've learned so much from learning from other people's experiences and leadership journeys.
Speaker 1:And then I would say a platform. This is geared towards women, but lots of you know just helpful resources. It's called Elvest and it's an investment platform. There is an investment platform, so there's a component to it where you could choose to invest with them and subscribe. But you don't even need to do that because they also have a lot of free resources, which is what I take advantage of. But the platform was created to empower women in thinking about their finances and investing, and so there's tons of information as you're thinking about your career, how to negotiate salaries, you know career leadership development a lot that I learned through just the resources from Elvest.
Speaker 1:And then the other thing I would say is just being very intentional about being part of networks, and so some networks that I took advantage of. One is called Be Social Change, which is this network very active in New York, and so I was a part of it when I lived in New York. It's a social impact professionals network. There's also the young professionals in nonprofit YNPN, which I was a part of a little bit earlier in my career. Now one that I would recommend would be women of color in fundraising and philanthropy, as well as the Society for International Development. So those are two networks that I found very useful at this stage of my career in philanthropy and in global development.
Speaker 2:That's awesome. Thank you for sharing those. That's really helpful and I hope folks look those up and join those and read those books and, you know, just get educated and join those networks as they democorporate to their careers.
Speaker 1:And can I just say you know a cheap code that comes to mind that I would love to emphasize along these lines. That has been really helpful for me is just being intentional about building your own career circle. So having you know a handful of friends and people that you trust that you can discuss next steps in your career, and being very proactive and intentional about cultivating that circle, it's just been so beneficial to me having that you know group of friends I go to. We're sharing you know about challenges in our career setbacks, we're learning from each other, but also we're talking about being very open about you know what are our salaries, you know what are you making, how much would we want to make, and then, when applying for a job, negotiating for that salary, role playing, having that trusted circle to be able to work out some of those pieces of career development has been so beneficial and just very empowering as well.
Speaker 2:I love that. That's a great cheat code. Is there anything else we have not discussed that the world should know about that?
Speaker 1:Well, I think we've covered a lot, but I think, just going back to this idea of it's, a journey, nothing is necessarily prescribed, but we are ultimately the leaders of our own career.
Speaker 1:So, being intentional about thinking about our career development and our growth, looking for those opportunities, particularly for, you know, those of us who may be coming from backgrounds where we may not always have been exposed to certain sectors or certain opportunities, we have to create those paths for ourselves.
Speaker 1:But then I would say, you know, really understanding that you don't need to go at it alone, to you know, build that circle of people that you trust to be willing to reach out, you know, to get involved, to volunteer, seek informational interviews, do internships, seek advice from people, whether you know it's through someone you would consider a mentor or through having a conversation with someone who's more advanced in their career, being willing to ask those questions. And you know, learning as we go and realizing that you know we can do something that we love and to be willing to pursue that. And I would just say you know, for me, those things have guided me throughout my entire career and I think that everyone has an opportunity to make an impact where they are, where they feel that they may be led or they may be called, and it's up to us to be able to chart that path.
Speaker 2:Awesome, thank you. I appreciate you joining us today.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much for having a reality I appreciate it. Before I talk to you again I hope you enjoyed this episode.
Speaker 2:If you did and believe on the mission we're on, please like, rate and subscribe to this podcast on whatever platform you're using, and share this podcast with your friends and your networks. Make sure you follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn at career cheat code and tell us people or careers you would like to see highlighted. See you next week with some more cheat codes. Peace.
