Heather Strickey
Director of Advancement and Alumni Relations
King's-Edgehill School
AFP member since 2017
Why did you join AFP Nova Scotia? What has your experience been like so far?
I joined AFP after the Maritime Fundraising Conference (MFC) in 2017. I attended MFC and met so many knowledgeable and interesting Advancement professionals that I knew I wanted to belong to this community. I am so pleased that I became a member as I met my CFRE Study Group (consisting of 10 fabulous women) and in only 10 months received my CFRE designation. This group really spurred me on to write the exam.
Tell us about your current role at King's-Edgehill School. What is your favourite part of the job?
In July 2014, I became the Director of Advancement and Alumni Relations at King’s-Edgehill School. My department is very busy. We plan and host events, fundraise and friendraise, and send out communications through many media platforms. What I love most about my job is that it is different every day. I could be coaching basketball, meeting with students, facilitating a planned gift to our School, hosting an Alumni event, or having tea with a delightful King’s-Edgehill alumna.
How has your office responded to the COVID-19 crisis?
I am blessed to work with three amazing women in our Advancement Department. Immediately upon being told to “stay the blazes home”, we set up our home offices, jumped onto Microsoft Teams so we could continue to work together, and started sharing communications to facilitate key constituent engagement. We are also hosting our first virtual event in early May.
What are you most proud of in your career so far?
There are three things that make me smile when I reflect on this past year as an Advancement Director. First, I wrote and passed my CFRE exam in July. I was so nervous and then so jubilant when I saw the results! Second, I facilitated the creation of a US Foundation to support our work in the United States (FYI, there are many steps to getting this done correctly!). Third, I was able to create a Planning Giving program that is comprehensive and beautiful!
Do you have a favorite book, blog or podcast that has been very helpful in your career that you’d like to recommend?
I love anything that is written and presented by Tom Ahern (https://www.aherncomm.com/). Also, if you are new to the profession and looking for some general survey material you cannot go wrong with Achieving Excellence in Fundraising by Eugene R. Tempel.