Let's Talk Fundraising

Building Trust and Belonging: Transforming Nonprofit Fundraising Teams with Bri Gerzevske

• Keith Greer, CFRE • Season 2 • Episode 5

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Join us for an enlightening conversation with Bri Gerzevske, an expert in nonprofit fundraising leadership, as she shares her transformative approach to creating high-functioning teams. Ever wondered how to step into a new leadership role and immediately start building trust and a positive team culture? Bri’s strategy centers around joy and belonging, and she shares how one-on-one meetings can help set expectations and understand team dynamics, all while maintaining healthy work-life boundaries. She also tackles the thorny issue of micromanagement and the importance of fostering a trust-based work environment.

The episode takes a deep dive into the challenging waters of hiring without bias. We explore the critical need for self-awareness and environmental analysis before recruitment, using approaches like SWOT analyses to ensure a well-rounded and diverse team. Bri shares her firsthand experiences balancing the emotional demands of fundraising in social services, particularly at St. Patrick's Center, where the administrative duties often intersect with the harsh realities faced by program staff. Through thoughtful strategies, she demonstrates how managing expectations is crucial for effective fundraising, while also highlighting the emotional resilience required in this field.

Finally, we delve into empowering teams through sustainable growth and support. Discover how to create a safe environment that encourages personal and professional development for each team member. Bri emphasizes the importance of recognizing what drives individuals and being a strong advocate for their aspirations, even when it means preparing them for opportunities beyond the current organization. We wrap up with practical advice on celebrating wins, integrating new team members, and maintaining a cohesive, motivated team dynamic that not only meets but exceeds fundraising goals.

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Keith Greer, CFRE:

Hey, there, hi, and welcome back ambitious fundraisers. Today's episode is packed with inspiration, insights and practical advice for nonprofit leaders and fundraisers who want to create thriving connected teams. I'm sitting down with Bri Gerzevske, a dynamic fundraising leader and head of a 14-person development team at St Patrick's Center in St Louis, Missouri. Bre has this incredible ability to lead with joy and belonging at the heart of everything she does and, let's face it, in this high-pressure world of fundraising, that's no small feat. We're diving deep into what it means to step into a new leadership role, especially when you're leading an established team. We'll explore how to build trust, balance legacy with fresh ideas and rethink what it really means to hire for that cultural fit. We'll also talk about some of the big questions nonprofit leaders face. How do you combat bias in hiring and embrace diversity? How do you create a culture where every win, big or small, is celebrated? And how do you keep a team engaged, motivated and even having fun while tackling the challenges of fundraising? If you've ever wondered how to create a team culture that's joyful, inclusive and resilient, this is the episode for you. So grab your coffee, settle in and let's talk fundraising.

Keith Greer, CFRE:

I'd like to welcome to the show Bri Gerzevsle. Bri is a veteran fundraiser with nearly 15 years of experience in the faith-based and social services sectors. Today she runs the fundraising shop at St Patrick's Center, a ministry of Catholic Charities of St Louis, which serves those who are experiencing homelessness or near homelessness by leveraging joy and belonging. This year, she led her team through a record-breaking year-end campaign. Her constant refrain to the community ending homelessness requires every heart and every hand, and we can only achieve this goal when we make change together. Brie, welcome to the podcast.

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

Hello, Keith, it's so good to see you again.

Keith Greer, CFRE:

I'm so glad you're here with me. I miss seeing you. We had so much fun in Atlanta at the Leadership Institute that AFP put on.

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

We really did. That was the best time I miss your shoes also. Those are an honorable mention. Quite honestly, they're so wonderful.

Keith Greer, CFRE:

Oh, quite honestly, they're so wonderful. Oh, thank you. I had so much fun getting to do that with you guys. It was such a treat to get to kind of show off that side of myself. It was a blast it was. It was a wild time. But we want to get into the content here. And you started this role as a new leader, but of an already established team, and that is no small task. So when you first joined St Patrick's Center, what did those early days look like for you as you work to understand the team dynamics and really build that trust?

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

So I would say that any team that I sort of inherit, one of the things that I try to do immediately off the bat, week one, is to get each individual separately, have sort of one-on-one time with them and sort of set expectations in a way, get to know them a little bit better, what their role is, what their expectations are. But also like setting expectations in terms of like how can I as a manager accommodate you in the best ways possible? What does an ideal manager look like to you? What can I do to help you bring your best self and your best work to St Patrick's Center? And also just like things like what is your most favorite thing about your job, what is your least favorite part about your job?

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

And just understanding sort of where their mindset is, where they're at, what they prefer in a manager. Because if you can sort of kickstart off the bat those expectations and gaining that knowledge right away and just asking that is going to serve you well in the long run. Every time I meet with a new team member off the bat, I tell them I really consider myself to be a servant leader, I am your advocate as the leader of this team, and I mean it Like when you say, as a manager, if you're an advocate for them, like the words and the actions need to be absolutely congruent and so you also need to be open and accessible and invite them to ask their questions and to be bold and to question things and be curious about it.

Keith Greer, CFRE:

I don't think asking your team what do you as an ideal manager look like to you is something most people do when they're kind of stepping into a new role. I'm curious were there any common threads that were similar among your team? Was there anything that kind of stood out of oh, this is really important to them.

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

So I think two things, and one of which was like loud resounding in agreement, because I feel the same way. Micromanagement like no, we're not doing that. Nobody likes a micromanager I don't. My philosophy is if I have to micromanage you, you don't belong on my team, like you need to be somewhere else with somebody who is better suited for that.

Keith Greer, CFRE:

Yeah, Can we leave micromanagement back in like the 1980s please?

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

Yes, like please, let's do that. So a lot of like trust-based functioning and working and sort of in a similar vein, some like flexibility. So you know, understanding that you know there may be a day that I want to work from home or I have to work from home because I'm getting a refrigerator delivered. It's just like accepting that. You know there's. You know people talk about work-life balance and when you're when, when, when companies sort of talk about that, do they truly mean like work life balance, is it? You know you come in from 830 to 530 every day and then the rest of the time outside of that is like personal time, like what is the, what is sort of the allowable?

Keith Greer, CFRE:

What is personal time? I don't think we have that in nonprofit.

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

True, exactly. And so the other part of it is like, yes, allowing for that flexibility, and like setting good and healthy boundaries as well.

Keith Greer, CFRE:

Absolutely. And so when you, once you actually get into the team and you kind of have that sense of what the existing culture is, how did you find the balance between honoring the great things that the team already had in place but also bringing and introducing your leadership style and your fresh ideas to your team?

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

I consider myself fortunate because when I started this role back in October of 2023, this role back in October of 2023, I inherited. The team that I inherited is amazing, like I could not. There's been some staff turnover, but even like from day one, I had an excellent team. I, to this day, I have an excellent team and I will sing their praises until my dying day. Quite honestly, I also think that I had this is maybe not the right word, but there was a benefit to stepping in when I did, because there had been this sort of leadership vacancy for like six months-ish, and so I also think that there was a sort of a sigh of relief that everybody felt because there was a leader coming in and providing that guidance, providing that leadership, somebody who would make the tough decisions, and so I think there was some relief to that as well. And I think, because of that, and maybe just in general of that, and maybe just in general very open to change, very trusting, there were some things that I didn't necessarily like, that were sort of the the norm at the time.

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

I'll give you an example. I started in October. We were pretty far along on the year-end appeal, so I looked at the artwork and I'm like, no, this is, this is not going this way, and that comes from years of running really successful direct mail campaigns and the consulting that I've done. I just knew that the artwork, some of the assumptions that were baked into the artwork, was wrong basically, and so not wrong necessarily, but not steeped in best practice.

Keith Greer, CFRE:

Yeah.

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

And so I went ahead and I'm like pump the brakes. This is what we're going to do. We're going to rewrite it, we're going to lay it out differently, we're going to just we're going to blow it up. And I think without the flexibility and the openness of my team, that would not have flown. And so, because of their receptiveness and their openness to things, we were still able to hit the deadlines and were able to put out a quality product, far better, I would argue, than what was going to go out Wonderful, and I think that that's a two-way street right, because your team has to be open to the flexibility and the advice and the feedback.

Keith Greer, CFRE:

But also I think that the way that you show up with joy and belonging and valuing your team, I think makes a big difference. Because if you come in with that attitude of I know better and I'm changing everything and I'm the leader and so I'm right, that doesn't go over very well. I'm the leader and I'm so I'm right. You know that doesn't go over very well. But so what is the joy and the belonging in your leadership? What does that look like for you in practice in your team, and how do you make those values really come alive on that day to day basis?

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

Well, I will also say this I come into my work fully aware that I don't know everything, I don't have all the answers. I am not an events-based fundraiser. That is not my strength, that's not something I've experienced before. And so we have at St Patrick's Center, two signature events. We have a golf and gala, and then we do a Veterans Day 5K every year Completely fish out of water, situation, out of my depth, didn't know anything about it, and so I owned that and I allowed the team around me to sort of give voice to okay, this is what we need to do to ensure fundraising success at our golf tournament and just being sort of open to their feedback, their knowledge, their information to make me a better leader. So part of it is also owning that. You don't know everything. We all come with a set of strengths and you need others to be just a more well-rounded, strong leader.

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

whether it's a manager or, you know, a specialist or a coordinator or a senior director, like it doesn't matter. Everyone has a unique thing that they bring to the table and it's important to be mindful of that. I find that people are much more willing to bring their A-game when they sort of have that sense of belonging. And I think the way, I think the best way to keep up that level of belonging, that sense of belonging, is to also realize that not everyone belongs. Quote unquote I'm doing air quotes. Nobody can see that.

Keith Greer, CFRE:

She's doing it. I can vouch for her.

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

Not everybody belongs in the same way and we also need to be respectful and mindful and honoring of those differences. I may love meeting in person every day of the week at a certain time, and that's how I feel connected, and that's great and that's fine. And I may have others on my team that are like look, I do not have the spoons to meet with you in person right now, and that's fine too. I think it is respecting the choices and the preferences of everybody around you, so that there is sort of this feeling of comfort and safety, because that's only going to make people feel like there's that belonging there, that they belong in that space and they want to be in that space.

Keith Greer, CFRE:

Absolutely. I think that's really important, and you came in with a team that was already established. You inherited them, but you've also had to do some hiring for some staff turnover. That's happened. So let's talk a little bit about that term, cultural fit and it kind of gets thrown around a lot, but sometimes it feels like shorthand for hiring people just like us. How do you define cultural fit in a way that really fosters diversity while keeping the team connected?

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

So similar to how I feel about belonging is how I also think about cultural fit.

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

I believe that everyone is different.

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

Everyone is deserving of dignity and regard, and we need to be able to honor that and embrace that and be kind to one another.

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

And, honestly, I think, another sort of non-negotiable if you want to be a member of my team in specific, like you need to at least be supportive of one another and embrace the differences that we share together.

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

Otherwise I don't know that there's room for you on the team, because I honestly feel like if we can be amicable and kind to each other and also be able to have difficult discussions in a cordial way or in a healthy way like that's what I want that's only going to snowball on itself and continue to sort of breed this cultural fit right. And again, what that support looks like might not be what support looks like to my director of philanthropy operations, and so, knowing yourself sort of self-awareness and others' awareness is going to get you very far as you think about embracing diversity and accepting someone to be a part of your culture. And the other thing that I think people don't talk about is that Culture shifts, like it evolves over time, and so I think we need to be cognizant of that and and keep our finger on the pulse of that shine through one way or the other, because people can sort of bring their diversity of thought and bring their lived experiences to the table in that work and as we work together.

Keith Greer, CFRE:

I want to just highlight something you were talking there about with self-awareness, and I think that's something that we don't do enough of as people in society in general. I think there's a lot of us that have this idea of, oh, I'm absolutely self-aware, and the people who are proclaiming it the loudest often are the least self-aware folks out there. But I know that you've put a lot of thought into recognizing and addressing the biases in the hiring processes in general, and so what steps have you found to be the most effective in actively working against those biases and bringing in voices and perspectives that the team might be missing?

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

Right and I want to be abundantly clear. I try to be as exemplary in this as possible. I'm not perfect and I'm still trying to formulate like what, what this looks like for me, and so the first thing that I would do, when you know that you're in the process, prior to beginning the hiring process, is you really need to do like an environmental analysis and like literally like, sit down and do a SWOT analysis? In what areas of your fundraising shop are you lacking? Or, when it comes to a donor engagement person, like, what are you truly looking for? One of the things that I just as an example, our donor engagement manager position became open, I think at the end of the year in which I started. It was like December 2023.

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

And I knew that, with where we were at in the leadership transition that they had seen, is we really need somebody we really need, like a senior manager? We don't need a manager. We need a senior manager who's done the fundraising thing before, who is not afraid to ask, who speaks the language and has just has done the thing before, and so what we did was we hired somebody who brought that additional experience and spoke that language, and that has served us well in the long run. So I think, first things first, you really need to understand where your strengths and weaknesses are on your team, what opportunities there are, and go from there. All that to say, you have to go into the hiring process knowing that the best candidates are not always going to look like you, they're not going to talk like you do, they're going to have completely different lived experiences from you, and so it can be really hard and worth it, worth the work. But it's very hard as a hiring manager sometimes to cut through that noise.

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

And so what I would say is, as you're assessing fitness for your team, like don't be hasty to hire, like really sit, sit in it and truly reflect. Don't make a decision in, I would say, even like 72 hours. Like it some thought and any any um, implicit or like subconscious biases that you know you deal with. Lean into that, because if you have someone come through where you're like I know for a fact that I have preferences and biases and this person that I'm I'm interviewing doesn't look like me at all lean into that and truly listen to what they're saying, because if you're not truly listening in the interview, they may be offering the strength that you need to fill this one gap and if you can't get past you know what they look like, or a word that they use, or the way they say something like you are missing a great opportunity.

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

And so I would say, when it comes to hiring, truly listen, assess where this person sort of fits in the SWOT analysis and take some time to think about it, like put thought into it. And I think those are three really good. Those are the three tips I would give when hiring somebody with you know the biases that we're becoming more aware of that have shaped our society so, so deeply and so covertly. You got to put your mind into it and it's hard, but it's you have to do it.

Keith Greer, CFRE:

You do, and I think that once you become aware of them, it makes it much easier to go around them and to work around them, because if you don't know like you, you simply don't know Right, and so that it does. It's really important to take that time, to have that self-reflective process and you know, as a leader, you could be vulnerable and share. These are the biases that I'm working with and dealing with with your hiring team, but even just acknowledging them for yourself and keeping it internal is a big step along the way. Yeah, yeah, for sure. So, once you have your team put together, fundraising is it easy? Probably not. It's tough work. Yeah, it's hard.

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

Listen, I, I so. St Patrick's Center is a, a ministry of Catholic charities and our primary the folks that we serve are people who are either dealing with homelessness or near homelessness. I have learned so much about people in that struggle in the last year, year and a couple months, and there are days fundraising is hard I want to acknowledge that and I feel like sometimes it is even more difficult for social service fundraisers because while I don't envy our staff, our program staff, our case managers, the people who are on the front lines with people who are struggling with substance use disorder, whether they're dealing with mental health challenges, mental health challenges I don't envy that Like that's a whole thing. But there are times that I have to tell you when somebody is right outside my office, like yelling and screaming on the client deck because they are having the worst day of their life, and understandably so, Like that, that can really cut me to the core just to experience some of the things that I see walking into my building.

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

It's tough. We're not as exposed on the administrative side as program side, but it is still really tough and you combine that with sort of sometimes unreasonable expectations and fundraising goals from your leadership or your board. Luckily, I have not had that problem here, but it's either that or sort of a unfortunate ignorance for one for right, for right, wrong, or indifferent about what fundraising actually is and like managing donor expectations, like that's a whole thing too. So it is with the professional challenges that we have. There's also sort of this extra layer of we have this job to do serving this very vulnerable population, and we we take that with us as well.

Keith Greer, CFRE:

Yeah, as you were telling your story, it reminded me of when I was working for hospice and we had an inpatient care facility program there and that's where my office was located was in that care center. And I remember the first time I was sitting in my office and a family was visiting and their loved one passed away while they were in the room and the immediate and visceral wailing that came out of that room at having lost somebody that they love and that they care about, and it reverberated and it echoed down the halls. And I'm sitting there in my office and it hit me so hard and I just started crying because I knew the pain that they were going through. And so it's such a hard thing for so many people on the program side, and as hard as fundraising is. Like you, I thank my stars every day that I am not on the program side, because my heart was not built to be able to handle that.

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

I tell the program staff all the time I was like I will shoot my shot with Mackenzie Scott like every day and ask her for, try to ask her for 30 billion dollars, like I don't. I will do that before being a case manager because it takes a special kind of person that I don't think I could do that.

Keith Greer, CFRE:

No, no. But one of the things that I love about you is that you find moments worth celebrating every day, Like that's one of your superpowers. So how do you keep your team motivated and really proud of their work? By celebrating those wins that are both really big, but also, you know when those droughts happen and you need to celebrate the small wins.

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

Yeah, so I I feel like I have the capacity and the ability and the strength of bringing joy, so I I do that anyway. When others might not have the capacity to do it, I try to bring it as much as possible. My office looks like a preschool classroom. There's like Legos and Play-Doh and it's very bright and colorful and just like I want people to see me as sort of like a fun, safe person, and so a lot of that attitude and approach I bring to my leadership style when things get rough.

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

One of the probably the biggest challenge for me as a senior director of philanthropy this year was that we had sort of underestimated or over-exaggerated some of the funding that would be coming in this year when we were building our budgets, and so we learned very quickly in at the beginning of the fiscal year that there were some significant gaps and so we had to do a reduction in force. We had to, we had to cut programs like it. It was really, it was really bad. And so on top of that uncertainty, like I knew, the pressure was on philanthropy to sort of do their part and just giddy up and go, and so the one thing I knew that would help people feel that belonging and keep up that belonging was by sharing fundraising wins at every Monday morning meeting. So every Monday in the morning we sort of have just a little brief check-in five or ten minutes anyway just to get us centered and like intentional for the work week During our year-end campaign, when we really had to up the ante, one of the things that I had everybody do was bring sort of a fundraising win to the meeting that had maybe happened in the week prior.

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

And so this was everything from, like I remembered my Razor's Edge login every day last week to you know this person who said they don't ever want to meet with me ever, you know, gave twice the amount that they've given in the past. So just like celebrating those wins, big and small, I think, really helped build that joy, build that belonging, which then in turn helped people on my team to bring their best. And again we have just sort of this snowball effect of joy and motivation and belonging sort of all feeding into that. And I honestly I can't give all the credit to that activity for our year end fundraising performance, but at the end of this year we almost doubled our revenue performance year and then we've done in the past that's amazing.

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

Our initial goal was a million dollars and I ran the numbers today and we are still waiting on a couple of things, but we're going to crack 1.9 million.

Keith Greer, CFRE:

That's absolutely incredible. Congratulations thank you, thank you, that's a really big deal and it takes a huge team effort to make that possible.

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

So like kudos to your team too, like it's hard work well, and also, too, like gratitude is a huge part of it, like it's like the wins too, and you know I I joke, um, that you tell them I'm like you're the best team ever and I cry every day, like, because, like, but it's truly, it's like they are truly such a great team and I couldn't ask for a better one, and so just just sort of constantly be in awe of them and and be great, truly grateful that for the work that they do, I think also is very much a game changer, I think, when it comes to being a leader. I know people are sort of weirded out when I say this, but like, I feel like I have a deep and abiding love for the people that I lead. It's like completely within the realm of HR propriety, it's not like weird or anything like that.

Keith Greer, CFRE:

Good to point out.

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

Right. But like I truly love these people and I am proud of them when they do their best and when they do their worst, like I'm still with them and I'm coaching them and saying, okay, how can we do this differently in the future? What have we learned from this? It's really how can we do this differently in the future? What have we learned from this? No-transcript. I truly love the people that I work with and I think that sort of also translates into the leadership that I bring to the table.

Keith Greer, CFRE:

And when you're really kind of bringing that team together and you have a team that is so cohesive and that's functioning so well and you might have had just a brand new hire that does not fit the typical mold of your team, that can be an incredible opportunity in itself, right, but how do you go about onboarding somebody like that, somebody who might bring a unique style or a unique perspective and make sure that they feel welcomed and that the team stays cohesive as you bring this disruptive force onto the team?

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

bring this disruptive force onto the team. Yeah, so I and again, I think it starts with that day one interview, one-on-one type thing when I'm telling people that I am here for you, I am your advocate, I exist for you to be the best version of yourself in your role, and making sure that that attitude and that mindset pervades throughout the entire team, that we are rooting for each other. Despite differences that we may have, the diversity that we have, we still honor and respect each other and we honor the dignity in each other. And sometimes if there is someone who is sort of quote unquote different from the norm, like that's okay, we value that person and because they're different, there is a strength there. And so, again, I think also like creating that safe space is key in allowing people to express their unique styles and perspectives.

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

Sometimes, in my experience, some reports are more than willing to volunteer that information to you, which is great, that's fine. Sometimes it takes time, sometimes you need to draw it out or it comes out, and so, as a manager, you have to be ready and curious either way, however long it takes, but you have to create that safe space that I'm leading by example for, but also expecting the others on the team to also uphold that safe space and respect the differences of each other, regardless of how like sideways different this person is Like. That's just. That's the culture that we embrace.

Keith Greer, CFRE:

I'm just reflecting on that for a moment. Yeah, because I think it's really important, and one of the things that I think you and I have in common and that I really respect is that I know that we both care about helping our team members really grow beyond their current roles. Right, hopefully they're going to grow into their next role with us, but sometimes they're going to grow into their next role with another organization or into a whole new field that they're not even thinking about right now. How do you uncover what drives your team members and supports their personal and their professional aspirations, even if their goal is to go beyond our organization?

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

So I think, when it comes to like professional development, I like to just ask them like what can I provide you, what can I direct you to that would help you grow in your job and make you a better donor engagement coordinator? I'm always ready, willing and able to promote professional membership organizations, different conferences, things of that nature. So, like we're entering budget season right now, one of the things I'm going to ask my team is okay, take some time and think about okay, do you want an AFP membership next year? Do you want to be able to go to AFP Icon? What are your goals in the role that you're in and how can we build into the budget those things that will help you to get to where you are? So part of it is being very intentional about inviting them to think about those things and also by leading. For example, I have a sign up in my office that says ask me about AFP.

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

St Louis, I am the VP of professional development for the chapter this year and I love all things AFP. St Louis, I am the VP of Professional Development for the chapter this year and I love all things AFP and I will advocate for that. And so I would love to. I would talk to any of the people on my team about AFP membership and why it matters and why it's helpful. I'm also willing to talk to my communications team about non-profit marketers networks. So there's all these different resources out there that, if I can exemplify how helpful it makes me in my professional development, I want that to sort of be contagious as well, and so when they want to pursue those opportunities, I'm there for them to help them figure that out.

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

I will also say that I've had people come to me to say you know, I don't think I can do this anymore. I've hit my wall. I can't do this. Obviously, I can't help somebody if they don't tell me that, but I also want people to know that I do not judge them or their journey in any way whatsoever.

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

I had a team member who had left earlier middle of last year.

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

She was interviewing for a job and she let me know about it and we got to unpack a little bit more sort of the challenges that she had been facing, and so I was like, look I, I again exist as your advocate to be the best version of yourself that you can be, and sometimes that means setting you up for success for the next thing I said if you feel like you've hit a wall and this interview falls through, let's take a look at your resume, let's do some mock interviews. I want to see the people that I lead as more than a role on an org chart. These are people with goals and personal objectives and I feel like if I'm not setting up somebody for the next thing and be successful, I'm not doing my job as a manager. It seems counterintuitive, but I truly feel like I'm not doing my job if somebody wants to move on or is feeling it or feeling some kind of way, and they can't come to me and say look, here's where I'm at. Can you help me?

Keith Greer, CFRE:

Totally. I think one of my proudest moments as being a leader is when people who have come in at a certain level and it's a stretch for them at the time right and you've helped develop them and get them to where they're really thriving in that role, and then you've helped them dream and imagine bigger than where they're at and then they leave you for a much bigger role than your organization could ever be able to do could ever be able to do Like.

Keith Greer, CFRE:

it's an amazing feeling to be able to watch that person develop and have that win, because it's just, it's so great.

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

Yeah, it's bittersweet. I think one of the things that I say is you know, if I hire you in at a certain level, like I'll be sad for you to leave me for the next thing, but like that's just a testament, I think, to that person and to the leadership skills that I bring as well. Like if people are moving on to bigger and better.

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

that means that they're being formed in some form or fashion under my leadership, and that's that's a testament to the good work that I do Absolutely, and if you have people that are underneath you and are never progressing, I really take that as a sign of kind of failure of my own leadership, in that, oh, I am not doing what I need to do to help my team right. And that goes not just on the individual basis, but on the team building too. Team building itself can sound like such a buzzword, and you know it so much more than trust falls and icebreakers, and so what kind of team building practices have you found that genuinely are effective for boosting morale and really keeping your team firing on all cylinders?

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

One of the things that I think really helps people feel connected to the team and bonded is giving folks agency in their role as a part of the department.

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

So one of the things that I did back in June of last year in preparation for the new fiscal year At the same time Catholic Charities of St Louis and all of its ministries have been undergoing this strategic plan process and so one of the things that I did in, you know, in the month leading up to the fiscal year, I said I got everybody in a room and I said, hey, let's spend a day reviewing the strategic plan.

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

What can you as volunteer coordinator, for example, what can you do in your role to help us meet this pillar of the strategic plan? So it's getting everybody in a room, giving them a seat at the table, literally having them give input and connecting their role to the strategic plan, which oftentimes feels like these things are 300 miles apart. So what I try to do is bring it a lot closer to the team beneath the leadership level and to help them own it, and I think when that happens you grow as a team together and you grow sort of individually as well, that we're sort of we're all shaping what this team looks like moving forward.

Keith Greer, CFRE:

I think giving that buy-in and empowering the team is really a critical piece of it, right, and that's also a big piece of the professional development too, because sometimes these people that are participating in it they've never had that opportunity before and so they don't. It's a learning opportunity for that. And so one of the things that we had talked about was that there's kind of a turning point in our careers. In the beginning it's a lot of learning, it's a lot of anxiety because we don't always know what we're doing and we're kind of making it up as we go along. But there comes a point when we're hitting our stride, we've got the rhythm, we kind of know what's happening within our roles, within our teams, and fundraising switches from that thing that is stress and anxiety producing and it actually becomes fun. When do you think that shift happens and what's the secret to keeping that fun energy alive?

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

I think that once you have created a culture of gratitude, curiosity, appreciation, people start to look at their work differently. When you are applauding each other because you've successfully logged into Razor's Edge every day last week, that only highlights the really huge and awesome wins. And so really having that looking at things through a lens of appreciation not necessarily being Pollyanna about stuff because our work is very hard and seeing sort of the positive in very hard work, Like once you get people into that habit and changing their perspective on the work that they're doing, and showing your appreciation for that hard work, that's, I think, when it starts to get fun. And I also will say too, it's not all sunshine and puppies, Like it's not, we're all going to screw up and I think that it is just as important to not necessarily celebrate the wins. But but like one of the things that I've started doing is like when absolutely unhinged stuff happens at work, I think like would this be in an episode of the office? And like nine times out of ten it would definitely 100% be an episode of the Office, because it is so like absurd and like, yes, it sucks in the moment, but like understanding that that's just part of the job and that it's something that you can look back on and laugh and understand that even in that moment you have a team supporting you. That, I think, also is key, in addition to supporting those fundraising wins.

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

Like embracing failure as part of the process. I've started doing this practice called Spicy Meatballs, where I'm keeping track of all of the upset donor correspondence that I get. Oh, so I'm like days without Spicy meatball and then I just like I keep a tally of it, and when I when I get a donor who gives it, sends me a particularly unhinged correspondence, I'm like, okay, wipe the slate clean, we're starting back at zero. So just like, poke fun at at like something, poking fun at the failure, Like that sounds awful, but like I fully also endorse. Like when you get those unhinged emails from a donor, like everyone gather around we're going to do a dramatic reading of this absolutely wild email that we got from this donor and just like laugh at it, Because I mean, life is too short to be hung up on failures. And so I think, when you can embrace failure and really genuinely celebrate all of the good things about your job, you're going to have fun, because failure is where we really have our biggest learning opportunity 100% our biggest learning opportunity.

Keith Greer, CFRE:

But oftentimes in those moments, if we can, once we get through the initial sting and then the laughter, we can find that kernel of truth and what the message is right. Yep, for sure, for sure. Well, Bri, I had such a fun afternoon with you, so thank you for being on the podcast and sharing all about your team and your hiring and your leadership. It was really a wonderful experience to get to spend time with you in Atlanta at the AFP Leadership Institute and I hope that I get to see you again in person soon. Are you going to ICON this year?

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

I will not be going to ICON, but I feel like we should present something together at LEAD or ICON or something in the future.

Keith Greer, CFRE:

Absolutely. I think that would be so much fun. Let's do it. I am in a hundred percent.

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

Awesome, let's go, let's go.

Keith Greer, CFRE:

Let's go Perfect. Well, have a wonderful rest of your day and I'll look forward to seeing you again at our next quad squad cohort group for a zoom call.

Bri Gervezske, CFRE:

Awesome. Thanks for having me, Keith. Thanks, bye-bye.

People on this episode

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Keith Greer, CFRE

Host
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Bri Gervezske, CFRE

Guest