Kelly V. Smith
Director of Development
St. Augustine Youth Services (SAYS)

Professional Questions

• How many years have you been in the nonprofit sector? Less than one year on staff with SAYS, but I have over 17 years with volunteer/staff position with Young Life St. Augustine

• What do you tell people you do when asked? Build relationships and I oversee our fundraising programs.

• I am passionate about fundraising because….I care about the mission of SAYS and want to see every program we offer thrive in order to continue providing coaching, counseling, and care to the youth we serve.

• What is your favorite thing about being an AFP member? It’s two-fold – the learning opportunities also provide networking engagements and it helps me understand the bigger picture of why we do what we do!

• What advice would you give to someone who wants to enter our field? You have to love the mission you represent, realize that a no means not yet, and to keep trying to build and maintain relationships.

• Organization Summary: https://www.sayskids.org/ SAYS is a non-profit behavioral health company specializing in the delivery of a comprehensive continuum of trauma-informed behavioral health care to youth and families in St. Johns County for more than 36 years. SAYS strives to deliver accessible care to meet youth and families impacted by mental health disorders by providing community services through mobile, office, in-home and in-school settings and by offering a homestyle setting for youth in residential services. SAYS originally focused on serving youth in the residential setting, then added community services to expand the continuum of care for youth and families in the county to address community identified service gaps. Our current services include Residential Treatment programs, Pre-Independent Living group home, Mobile Response Team (MRT), Community Action Team (CAT), Coaches Team, Care Coordination, and the Shee Family Independent Living Village.

Fun Questions 

• What is something about you (a fun fact) that not many people know? I know I am short! (People always comment on how short I am as if I was clueless to this fact!)

• What is the next place on your travel bucket list? A dude ranch in Montana. Or Greece

• What is the best book, TV show or movie you’ve consumed in the past year? Oh, I read a lot. The best most recent book is Theo of Golden by Allan Levi. TV – “Unforgettable” on Amazon. Not sure about movie...

• If you were a hashtag, what would you be? #getOutside