Linda Olson
Senior Director, Donor Services
United Way of Northeast Florida

Professional Questions 

• How many years have you been in the nonprofit sector? 

• I have been in the nonprofit sector for 28 years. 

• What do you tell people you do when asked? 

• I work for United Way of Northeast Florida, a local nonprofit that helps solve our community’s toughest challenges by connecting people, resources and ideas. We focus on financial security, youth opportunity and healthy communities.  

• I am passionate about fundraising because…. 

• I love working for a nonprofit. I am passionate about our mission to serve the community, and I know the work I do every day changes lives.  

• What is your favorite thing about being an AFP member? 

• AFP provides a built-in community of like-minded professionals who care about making a difference every day. It provides training, networking, best practices and a constant source of ideas, encouragement and the latest research to help us do our work better.

• What advice would you give to someone who wants to enter our field? 

• I would recommend that they connect with nonprofit professionals to learn more about the beauty and challenges of the field, reach out to their local AFP chapter, and look for a nonprofit match that reflects their personal passion for making a difference.

• Please provide a summary of the work your organization does along a web address. 

• For more than a century, United Way of Northeast Florida has helped solve local issues by uniting people and possibilities. We deliver services, provide funds and mobilize volunteers where they’re needed most to strengthen financial security, create youth opportunity and build a healthy community. In Northeast Florida, nearly 40% of households are struggling to make ends meet. Some highlights of the annual impact our donors have in our communities: Full Service Schools supplied more than 12,400 families with basic needs and services; 26,360 hours were volunteered in service to others; 53,750 connections were made to community resources thanks to the United Way 211 helpline; 785 veterans were connected to care and resources through Mission United; 51 families’ homes were repaired; RealSense prepared taxes free of charge for more than 10,136 individuals and families, helping save money and build assets; The 988 Florida Lifeline helped 12,520 local callers in crisis receive emotional support for themselves or someone they know; and 99% of Achievers for Life students were promoted to the next grade level on time. Our website is unitedwaynefl.org.

Fun Questions  

• What is something about you (a fun fact) that not many people know? 

• I dream of publishing a novel, and perhaps a book of poetry

• What is the next place on your travel bucket list? 

• Portugal and Spain

• What is the best book, TV show or movie you’ve consumed in the past year? 

• I spent a lot of time last year with the CFRE handbook and associated readings (Thank you, Jan Kary!) and read the entire book series of The Bridgertons.

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

• #positivityandpersistencemovesmountains