Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Timeline
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JULIE GRAVES

Summary

Passionate donor development and advancement strategist with productive coaching skills. With great respect for humanity and hard work represented by each gift, naturally earns the trust of both potential donors and team members eager to contribute to a larger legacy. Key experience and insights around the marathon of planned giving, the sprint of major gifts, the cadence of the ask, and creative capital campaigns. An engaged professional who is experienced in Blackbaud CRM, Crescendo, Wealth Engine and Microsoft Office, crafting cross-functional cohesion and a sense of calm amid pressure, a respected leader who embodies remarkable results. Able to build relationships with donors, corporations, faith-based communities, colleagues and manage challenging situations.

Professional with experience in strategic leadership and operational management. Skilled in driving team collaboration and achieving results through adaptive strategies and clear communication. Proficiencies include project management, financial analysis, and process optimization. Known for reliability, flexibility, and strong focus on delivering impactful outcomes.

Overview

10
10
years of professional experience

Work History

AVP INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

LeMoyne-Owen College
01.2021 - 01.2024
  • Managed staff-Director of Development, Director of Alumni Affairs and Donor Base Managers
  • Increased annual funds by 20% from the previous year
  • Managed Stewardship and cultivation of corporate donors, and increased stewardship activities
  • Maintained a working knowledge of the aspects of cultivating, soliciting, and closing major outright gifts, bequests, charitable remainder trusts, trusts, gifts of real estate, and Annual Fund
  • Managed high-stakes board member engagements through volunteering and committee work
  • Attends monthly board meetings civic meetings, working closely with board members and within committees to grow community awareness of Annual Fund giving
  • Collaborates with the board and management to establish strategic plans for capital campaigns while connecting to broader donor networks and building a community of supporters
  • Increased donor stewardship by creating opportunities that celebrate donors, i.e
  • Implementation of Annual Donor Appreciation Event

REGIONAL RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR (Remote)

The Salvation Army
01.2020 - 01.2021
  • Company Overview: GEOGIA Division
  • Bringing organizational knowledge and development experience, I was able to make an immediate impact
  • I connected with donors, prospects, and conducted tours of the shelters and planned Officer Donor events to showcase programs with officers to Reached individual goal of $650,000
  • Raised funds to enable the Mission of The Salvation Army by aggressively developing and nurturing current and prospective donors including individuals, foundations and corporations
  • Responded to donor inquiries, advisory organization members, Salvation Army staff and Officers
  • Identified prospects, cultivated perspective doors for implementing a giving plan for every donor in my portfolio to reach an annual production goal
  • Frequently traveled to engage with major gifts donors and prospective donors throughout an established assigned region of Griffin, Warner Robins, Albany and Macon
  • GEOGIA Division

REGIONAL DIRECTOR OF PLANNED GIVING KY/TN

Salvation Army
01.2017 - 01.2020
  • Company Overview: Kentucky/Tennessee Division
  • Bringing organization, leadership, and a magnetic connection that made people feel heard, cultivated more than triple the goal for estate and blended gifts in the western KY/TN area
  • Channeled great grace and perseverance, making an interpersonal investment ultimately benefiting the organization in providing shelter and aid to the homeless and in disaster relief efforts
  • Raised $5.5M in estate gifts – exceeding a $1M goal – by bringing both strategy and humanity to a market not well attended
  • Prioritized in-person visits with a giving base that averaged 65+ years
  • Built family-like relationships, sending hand-written thank you notes for time, conversations, and consideration long before any money was committed
  • Led the division to No
  • 2 finish among the 9 Southern Territory branches in 2020
  • Kentucky/Tennessee Division

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS
01.2014 - 01.2017
  • Company Overview: SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
  • Partnered with the Communications Department to create a Magazine that kicked off the opening of the new School of Public Health
  • I worked with faculty to write stories and provide pertinent public health topics of interest as well from faculty and alumni
  • Maintained updates regularly on CRM system to increase numbers of donors
  • A strategic plan was developed to lead all fundraising efforts
  • SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

Education

Master - Public Affairs

Park University
Parkville, MO

Bachelor of Arts - Journalism/Mass Communications

Lincoln University
Jefferson City, MO

Skills

  • Major Gifts
  • Planned Giving
  • Corporate and Government Affairs
  • Volunteer Engagement
  • Coaching
  • Donor Development
  • Advancement Strategy
  • Blackbaud CRM
  • Crescendo
  • Wealth Engine
  • Microsoft Office
  • Grant Writing
  • Staff Development
  • Donor Acquisition
  • Moves Management
  • Business Development
  • Wealth Data Mining
  • Strategic Planning
  • Foundations
  • CRM
  • Sales Force
  • Policy Management
  • Community Engagement
  • Volunteer Recruitment
  • Volunteer Management
  • Relationship Building

Timeline

AVP INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

LeMoyne-Owen College
01.2021 - 01.2024

REGIONAL RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR (Remote)

The Salvation Army
01.2020 - 01.2021

REGIONAL DIRECTOR OF PLANNED GIVING KY/TN

Salvation Army
01.2017 - 01.2020

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS
01.2014 - 01.2017

Bachelor of Arts - Journalism/Mass Communications

Lincoln University

Master - Public Affairs

Park University
JULIE GRAVES