Year-end fundraising takes months of planning - what happens when an unexpected moment creates an urgent need to raise support and engage donors?
Join REACH Community Development’s Erika Mahoney Yen and Lauren Schmidt for a behind-the-scenes look at how their team planned its 2025 year-end campaign and adapted when an urgent community need emerged at their Gray’s Landing property. They’ll share practical strategies for balancing planned and rapid-response fundraising, aligning messaging across channels, securing leadership buy-in, and leveraging existing campaign infrastructure to respond quickly.
Attendees will leave with practical tools and ideas they can adapt to their own fundraising programs, plus an opportunity to discuss their own experiences with strategic pivots.
MEET OUR SPEAKERS
Erika Mahoney Yen is the Philanthropy and Brand Manager at REACH Community Development, where she leads fundraising communications, donor engagement, and brand strategy. Since joining REACH in 2014, she has helped develop campaigns and storytelling initiatives that connect supporters to the organization's mission and impact. With a master's degree in Urban Planning and a passion for community development, Erika combines data management, donor analytics, strategic communications, and visual storytelling to strengthen fundraising outcomes and drive engagement. Her work focuses on translating data into meaningful narratives that inspire philanthropy and support equitable housing solutions.
Lauren Schmidt is the Fundraising and Public Relations Manager at REACH Community Development, where she joined in 2009. With more than 17 years of experience in fundraising, event planning, public relations, and communications, she has helped expand individual and corporate giving, develop new funding opportunities, and strengthen REACH’s communications and community partnerships. Her work includes fundraising campaigns and events, donor relations, foundation grants, corporate partnerships, and public relations. Lauren is particularly interested in how fundraising and communications strategies can work together to build momentum and engage supporters around timely opportunities.