Tennessee Nonprofit Network launched three Community Action Councils (CACs) in 2024 to serve as ambassadors for our organization and be our “ears to the ground” in their local communities to unearth community needs and challenges. You can learn more about the full roster of CAC members here.
In this post, we feature East Tennessee Community Action Council member, Rebecca (Becca) Brado. Becca is a dedicated fundraising professional with over 17 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, including six years in leadership roles. She holds a Certified Fund Raising Executive Certification and is pursuing a Master of Public Administration from the University of Alaska Southeast. Currently, Becca serves as a Donor Relations Officer at the University of Alaska Anchorage, where she creates and implements programs to recognize donors’ generosity and enhance donor satisfaction. Her previous roles include Donor Relations Officer at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Housing Director at the Interior Alaska Center for Non-Violent Living, and Community Liaison at the Interior AIDS Association. Becca has also led as the Executive Director of Green Star of Interior Alaska, significantly increasing the organization’s revenue and social media visibility. In addition to her professional achievements, Becca is actively involved in her community. She is a member of the Tennessee Nonprofit Network’s Community Action Council and the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Becca also serves as the vice-president and secretary for the board of Never Alone Recovery. In her free time, Becca enjoys exploring East Tennessee with her partner Adam and Nika the dog.
What excites you about the work that Tennessee Nonprofit Network is doing?
As someone who’s been dedicated to the nonprofit sector for over 17 years, I’m especially excited about the healthcare and retirement benefits and the wealth of resources you offer.
What do you think the biggest challenges are for nonprofits right now?
I sit on the board of Never Alone Recovery in Knoxville and from our perspective it’s finding the right board members to help guide the organization and difficulty obtaining general operating funds through donations from the public or corporations. Also it would be amazing if Tennessee grant funders would accept a standardized application that nonprofits could use to seek support from a variety of funders with less difficulty to meet certain character counts, for example.
What do you love about the nonprofits in your area?
I love that many participate in the Association of Fundraising Professionals with me. I also appreciate collaborations that allow organizations to multiply their impact for our neighbors.
Describe your role at your company/organization and what a typical day looks like.
I am a Donor Relations Officer. Here’s what I do in a nutshell:
• Create and implement programs and projects to express appreciation, recognize donors’ generosity, help donors understand the impact of their giving, and influence donor behavior and satisfaction through consistent, relevant communication and stewardship activities.
• Goals: retain current donors, inspire increased giving, advocate for donor experiences and priorities, engage donors through meaningful communications and stewardship, recognize giving appropriately and equitably while carefully stewarding the top donor experience.
• Seek to improve donor retention rates (+5% in FY24), pledge fulfillment rates and enhance qualitative feedback from donors, campus leadership and team members. In collaboration with the University of Alaska Foundation, improve upon systematic processes for acknowledging, reporting and recognizing gifts.
What do you like to do for fun?
Reading, cooking and baking, attending concerts and music festivals, dancing, hiking, whitewater rafting.
Name a nonprofit leader that inspires you.
My former boss Brenda Stanfill is Executive Director for the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. When she supervised me at the Interior Alaska Center for Non-Violent Living she modeled how to handle accusations and de-escalate conflict. She also encouraged me to think things through carefully and gave me the latitude to improve as many processes and procedures that I could.
If someone were to visit you, where would you take them to eat?
I would take them to the patio furniture on my deck because my partner is a meat-smoker extraordinaire and I love to cook/bake too.
What’s your favorite movie?
When I was in Hawaii I saw a painting of a beautiful purple tree in a gallery that reminded me of my favorite movie (What Dreams May Come with Robin Williams and Cuba Gooding Jr). The shop offered to have the artist add a remarque and I chose a woman with a red cloth. In the movie the red cloth is an invitation for a picnic in one scene and shows up again later as inspiration for an adventurous hero’s journey that demonstrates true love and leads to the redemption of a lost soul ❤️
What change do you most want to see in the nonprofit sector?
I want to see more nonprofit leaders willing to take hard looks at themselves through 360 degree feedback that will allow them to address areas of weakness. I’d love to see more nonprofits conducting audits of their processes/procedures and mission/vision to see if improvements or even mergers should be considered.
How can nonprofits in your area benefit from becoming a member of Tennessee Nonprofit Network?
First, there’s no membership fee for a few more years so there’s no financial barrier. Second, the newsletter is jam-packed with important information for the nonprofit sector, including funding opportunities, upcoming training/events, and advocacy information. Third, nonprofit employees have access to healthcare and retirement benefits that many small nonprofits are unable to provide their employees.