June 11, 2025 • 40 mins
Yanira Amadeo, Executive Director of Development at the University of Connecticut Foundation, shares her journey from administrative assistant to philanthropic leader raising millions for student opportunities and university initiatives.
• Transitioned from psychology and social work to higher education development after realizing her passion for fundraising
• Leveraged her position at Columbia University to earn a nonprofit management degree while working her way up from administrative coordinator
• Describes development work as "bridging generosity and justice" by connecting donors with university priorities
• Currently pursuing a PhD focusing on alumni philanthropists of color at Hispanic-serving institutions
• Advocates for strength-based research approaches versus deficit perspectives when studying communities of color
• Higher education development offers competitive salaries with assistant directors earning $70K-90K and vice presidents potentially earning up to $500K
• Emphasizes the importance of building relationships and reputation rather than just credentials
• Shares that less than 2% of PhD holders are people of color, encouraging more diversity in advanced education
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The thoughts, views, and opinions expressed on Career Cheat Code are those of the individual guests and do not necessarily reflect those of the host, affiliated organizations & employers. This podcast is intended for informational and inspirational purposes, highlighting the guests and their unique career journeys. We hope these stories inspire you to chase your purpose, define success on your own terms & take the next step in your career.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
I didn't want to be a regional administrative
assistant for the rest of mylife.
I knew that I had talent, I hadskills and I just needed to
hone in on those talents andskills in a way that allowed me
to get paid for those talentsand skills.
And you know, like I said, thisbecame my life's mission
because I was like what'simportant to me?
You know what's important to me?
(00:21):
The fact that I want everystudent, every youth, to have an
education.
So having higher ed accessibleto, to the masses was important
to me and I was like how do Iget there?
How do I get them there?
And then there was likefundraising through development
work.
You know, how do we get moreinternal and external
(00:43):
stakeholders to invest and bephilanthropic?
And so that's, that's.
That was my life.
Well, that's been my life forthe past 23 years.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Welcome to Career Cheat Code.
In this podcast, you'll hearhow everyday people impact the
world through their careers.
Learn about their journey,career hacks and obstacles along
the way.
Whether you're already havingthe impact you want or are
searching for it, this is thepodcast for you.
All right, yanira, welcome tothe show.
Hi, I appreciate you taking thetime to join the Career Cheat
(01:12):
Code podcast today.
Let's just dive right in.
Let's tell the world what it isyou do for a living.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Oh, great, Thank you.
Thank you for having me, Haradi.
It's a pleasure to be here andan honor.
As you know, my name is YaniraAmadeo and I am currently an
executive director ofdevelopment at University of
Connecticut.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Foundation.
What does that mean?
What does that mean on like aday-to-day?
You walk in on a Monday, you dosome good things.
It sounds really fancy, butwhat are you actually tasked
with doing?
Speaker 1 (01:35):
So, if I had to think about it, I would consider
myself a philanthropicstrategist higher ed leader,
really, with I have over twodecades of experience working in
higher ed at variousinstitutions, and it's really
about helping students andfamilies access life-changing
opportunities through education.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
So you are working with the foundation of the
university.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
To raise funds, and what do you ultimately do with
those funds?
Speaker 1 (02:02):
So a lot of the funds go.
It goes back into student life,it goes back into research
priorities.
It goes basically supports thefunction of the university
students first, obviously, andthen other parts of the other
parts of the university thatpotential investors might find
fascinating to invest back in.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
That's awesome.
So, hypothetically, as someonethat now has a kid that's going
off to college right, these arethe parts that keep the
university running that he maynot see right, but part of the
reason why maybe his financialaid package looks the way it is
is because of some of the workthat you're doing, why some of
the new facilities that arecoming online, like a new
renovation to a gym, arehappening or a new lab.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
Are those the type of things that you're working on?
Absolutely, my work reallybridges generosity and justice.
So whether I'm raising millionsfor scholarships or mentoring
future fundraisers or helpingalumni direct their investments
in research for faculty membersand what specific colleges have
going on.
As far as trying the socialimpact of you know, right now
I'm in Connecticut, so socialimpact of Connecticut and beyond
, that's really my day to day.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Wow, that sounds great.
What's your favorite part ofyour role?
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Really it's the relationship building, the
connecting to other people.
I often my, you know, as astrategist.
I'm constantly thinking aboutways to get more alumni, more
external and internalstakeholders involved in what
the university is doing and theimpact it could have broadly a
(03:40):
research symposium orinteracting with student mentor
groups.
That's really the highlight ofmy time and my day during the
week while I'm there.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
So it sounds like you have a task to both interact
with people internally withinthe university and externally
and hearing what faculty whatstudent groups, what
administration needs and thentrying to find some of the
funding to support thosepriorities and then going
externally and finding peoplethat align with that.
Does that sound right?
Speaker 1 (04:12):
Absolutely, Absolutely.
You know, what some folks don'trealize is that philanthropy
and development work, it's abridge.
It bridges people, it bridges,it connects what the university
has going on what the studentsare doing.
It connects what the universityhas going on what the students
are doing faculty and staff withthe broader community, and so
it really has, it reallyintersects, you know,
possibility and purpose.
(04:32):
So so my role is not reallyabout just raising money.
It's really about creatingaccess and building equity to
transform those student lives.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
That's great.
What do you think are some ofthe skills that you need for
this type of role?
What do you see yourself reallytapping into for the most part?
Speaker 1 (04:49):
I would say definitely.
You need to be a leader, havehigh leadership skills and
entrepreneurial skills andreally have the ability to move
people and move initiatives thatthe university is having so
that you can get those internaland external stakeholders to
(05:09):
invest in support.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
What do you think is the least favorite or most
challenging part of your role?
Speaker 1 (05:18):
Well, you know it's funny, you say funny.
You ask I don't really have aleast favorite because I, you
know, I really consider this mylife's mission and so for me
this is not work.
I come every day with a smileon my face because I know that I
have impact students' lives and, you know, once I decided that
I wanted to go this route intohigher ed development work, I
(05:38):
knew that, you know, first Itook the steps to get my
credentials, but then I also I'mable to learn from, I have a
peer mentor groups and I alsohave just other executive leader
mentor groups that I tap intoas a resource.
So for me I don't really havelike a least favorite thing.
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
That is, I'm sure, not the case for a lot of folks.
I'm glad that you can find that, as you're calling your
vocation and development,specifically in the university
level.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
You know that old adage.
You know, if you do what youlove, it's not work.
It really is true.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
So let's work backwards now.
So let's talk about yourupbringing.
You mentioned, you know, onceyou found that this was your
calling One.
Do you feel like this hasalways been your calling do?
Speaker 1 (06:23):
you feel like this has always been your calling.
No, so I actually I went to StJohn's for psychology with a
social work minor and I thoughtI was going to change the world,
become the social worker andreally help children and youth
thrive in that way.
And you know, I was a counselorfor a group home for young
(06:46):
women for two years aftercollege and I just realized very
quickly that that wasn't thedirection that I wanted to do
with my life and I had to pivot.
And so you know that feeling atthat really and it wasn't like
feeling like oh my God, I washorrible it was just that it's a
really demanding, mentallyheavy position and I wanted to
(07:10):
do something that didn't make mefeel like coming into work was
a chore or coming into work wasto hear the trauma of these
young ladies was just affectingme mentally, ladies was just
affecting me mentally.
And so I had to pivot andreally develop a plan for what I
(07:30):
wanted my life to look at.
And you know I was looking atwhat I really love to do.
And so in college, being part ofa sorority, it really got me
going with the you know thephilanthropic activities.
We were always fundraising forthis or that, and I just it gave
me the bug to fundraise.
And then I was like you know,as I'm figuring things out as an
as as a a regional executive atat uh assistant, I'm, I'm
(07:52):
thinking how can I, how can Iincorporate fundraising in my
life?
And that just started.
You know, I started doing someresearch and I realized that
there, there were some programsout there for nonprofit
management.
And that's when I earned mynonprofit management degree from
Columbia University and it wassuch a life changer for me
because it really everythingthat I've been wanting to do.
(08:14):
It allowed me to understand ittheoretically and then, once I
graduated, I was able to put itinto practice.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
Wow, and were you also working at Columbia during
that time?
Wow, and were you also workingat Columbia during that?
Speaker 1 (08:23):
time.
I was, indeed, I was indeed.
So I started after my regionalrole.
I was a regional executiveassistant at a security firm.
My boss was like you know,great guy, love him today.
But he was like.
He was like you know, yanita,you're, he's like you're too
(08:43):
good for this role.
What do you really want out oflife?
Where do you want to be?
What do you want to do?
And I said you know, I'vealways wanted to be in the
higher ed space and this it wasa security like a security firm,
not like securities, but it wasa security firm.
And they just happened to haveties to Columbia University and
he goes.
You know, I may know someonewho can make an introduction and
(09:05):
sure enough, I didn't believehim.
But he absolutely made anintroduction and I was able to
begin my career at Columbia andI was there for about 12 years
before I moved on.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
That's great and I also you know.
I really appreciate that youshared that.
You know you're able to also goto school and get a master's
from Columbia while you're thereRight, Because I think one of
my biggest career cheat codes isworking at a university and
getting a master's paid forRight, Especially if you can go
do that at a place like Columbia.
Now, like now, you have an Ivydegree and you're doing it with,
(09:38):
you know, one of the biggestbenefits that come to you as an
employee.
Right, Like technically, ifyou're not taking advantage of
all of your benefits, you'reprobably underpaid, right.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
So I can add to that and say that you're absolutely
right.
And but one thing, that people,I also don't want to put the
misconception out there thatonce you're an employee it's an
automatic thing.
Because I think you still was.
I still had to apply, I stillhad to fill out my application,
write an essay, do everything Ihad to do for the program.
And I have to tell you I was onpins and needles wondering if I
(10:11):
was going to to get in, andthen when I got in, I was like,
oh my gosh, you know, and itdefinitely was satisfying to
that I was able to achieve that.
But I think what was morerewarding was the fact that that
degree really aligned with mypassion and it's really helped
me in my career since then.
And so I would definitelycredit if employees, if you're
(10:34):
at a university and you kind oflike stuck and you feel like, oh
, you know, they put me in thisbox, I can never get out of this
box hone in on those talentsand skills in a way that allowed
(11:04):
me to get paid for thosetalents and skills.
And you know, you know, like Isaid, this became my life's
mission because I was likewhat's important to me.
You know what's important to me?
The fact that I want everystudent, every youth to have an
education.
So having higher ed accessibleto, to the masses was important
(11:24):
to me and I was like how do Iget there?
How do I get them there?
And then there was likefundraising through development
work.
You know, how do we get moreinternal and external
stakeholders to invest and bephilanthropic, and so that's,
that's.
That was my life.
Well, that's been my life forthe past 23 years.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
That's that's, that was my life.
Well, that's been my life forthe past 23 years.
So, in those 12 years atColumbia, what role did you
originally start with and whatrole did you end up leaving with
?
I'm just trying to get a senseof the growth that you can have
internally within within anorganization, and how your
portfolio can shift.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
Oh for sure, Absolutely.
And I will say I worked my wayup the ladder.
I started as cause remember Iwas coming from being a regional
executive assistant to, so Istarted as an admin, I was like
an admin coordinator, but then Iquickly went up into like
project manager and I think I'veI think I was promoted like at
(12:14):
least three or four times whileI come here and the the my a lot
of my earlier years at Columbia.
I was doing a lot of event workand I remember I had a
portfolio of like I think it waslike $175,000 that the
university had allocated to docommunity events.
And you know, when theuniversity was trying to expand
(12:37):
into Manhattanville, theystarted to shift their focus
into not necessarily supportinggroups in that way, but to
support groups in other waystechnical support, fundraising
support and so that then itbecame a whole community issue
and I really liked that it wascommunity based, because that
really let me understand whatthe community cared about
(12:59):
regarding philanthropy and howan institution as large as
Columbia can really make animpact and be a good neighbor to
their, to their, to theirneighbors.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
Absolutely, and that's how you and I met Right.
Like you were doing a lot ofwork with Columbia Community
Service and you know our pathsoverlap as I worked at Columbia
and just me learning about thework that you all were doing and
that was I gravitated towardsthat right Because I always kind
of knew that I was going to gointo philanthropy at some point.
So I kind of gravitated to thework that you all are doing and
you all were so community driven, community focused, that it
(13:32):
just spoke to me.
So you know, I definitelycommend you and all the great
work that you all did to supporta lot of local organizations,
leverage the employee funds thatwere available and try to like,
make some, make some goodalignment with, like, how do we
support the community, just asemployees here now.
So you're leaving Columbia, asyou're going to, you know, after
(13:52):
12 years, make a big leap right, because after you're somewhere
for 12 years, it is easy tojust say you know, I'm just
going to ride this out and stickaround for a little longer.
What ultimately made you decideto make the shift and what kind
of roles were you looking for?
Speaker 1 (14:05):
That's a great question.
So ultimately, what happened isthat once I earned my degree,
then I just got the bug.
I wanted to save the world in awhole other, different light.
So I was like I've donecommunity development work.
So I was like I, you know I'vedone community development work.
You know I wanted to understandhigher ed in a different space
(14:28):
of understanding how to build,build up alumni development.
And that's when I really itreally sat with me how the
alumni connection toinstitutions was very important,
and so I ended up.
I had an opportunity.
I was recruited to PaceUniversity.
I had opportunity there beingand actually it was at their law
school and I did alumnidevelopment work there.
(14:50):
You know great people and youknow out of Westchester and from
there I then went to MontclairState, which is the second
largest public university in NewJersey, and then I really that
really, you know, all of theseexperiences really allowed me to
hone my alumni development workand my major gift work.
(15:11):
That was just an eye opener forme, because I realized that I
had this talent for being ableto build relationships with
alumni, with externalstakeholders who may not be
alumni but were so invested inthe institution's greatness and
the institution's ability tomake change and affect social
changes, that I was like, oh,this is exactly where I want to
(15:36):
be, this is exactly what I wantto do, and I do credit Columbia
University with giving.
You know, give me those tools,those theoretical tools, and but
don't get me wrong Anyone like,if you do not have, let's say,
a nonprofit management degree,there are ways to break into the
sector and you know I, yes, Ihad that degree from Columbia,
(15:59):
but I also used a lot of mydegree from St John's in
psychology and social work toreally understand those nuances
with building relationships.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
Yeah, that makes a lot of sense and it's you know,
it's interesting because you'resomewhere for 12 years Right,
and then you get this master'sdegree and it sounds like that
almost kind of catapulted orsparked something in you to like
own your career even more.
Or sparked something in you toown your career even more right
and go to Pace, go to Montclairand understand how you can
continue to grow and not onlyleverage the experience that you
(16:30):
had but also the degrees thatyou had right, because being at
a place like Columbia or at anIvy League or one of those
really renowned institutions,the experience that you bring
from there is much more valuableoutside of that place.
Someone at it especially ifyou're trying to stay in higher
ed right, like someone's alwaysgoing to say well, we would love
to do what Columbia's doing.
How do you bring that here?
(16:50):
We would love to learn abouthow to leverage your master's
degree from that type ofinstitution over here and let's
bring that talent here.
So it just sounds like thatsparked now kind of a trajectory
that has snowballed into intowhere you are today.
Speaker 1 (17:05):
Absolutely yes, it has.
Thank you Thank you foracknowledging that.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
No for sure, no for sure, I think it's, it's, it's
really commendable.
And you know, you and I havehad conversations through the
years, but I just, you know, I,I love to see people that are
like just owning their careersand like going for what they,
for what they feel like is theircalling and all the things.
So now you're at UConn, now.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
So this is it sounds like a pretty similar role to
some of the work that you weredoing at Columbia, Just of
course.
Now you're in a much biggerleadership position and leading
a lot of the strategy.
Tell me more about how you areable to ingrain yourself in
different communities, right,Because Columbia?
Speaker 1 (17:53):
is in Harlem, then you have Montclair in New Jersey
, now you have UConn inConnecticut.
How are you able to able todevelop strategies for the
largest college at theuniversity?
But I think the reason why I'mable to work in various
populations is because I'm justa firm believer that
philanthropy isn't just anotherperson thrive, and so that's
(18:17):
what I do and that's how Iconnect people back to the
university and that can beapplied to, I would say, like I
would say that another, I wouldsay like another superpower that
(18:48):
I have is just owning my story.
Like I own it, I shape it, Ishare it as often as possible.
So being with you today isthat's part of my, my journey as
an executive leader inadvancement work and, you know,
being able to get other folksinvolved in the sector.
You know my sector is not a lotof folks that look like me.
(19:10):
So I want to, you know, I knowthat I'm kind of being that
representative for other womenleaders of color who are doing
fabulous work in the space andmay need to you know, may need
that visibility.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
What advice would you have for someone that is trying
to break into this sector,thinking about going into
development or just working inhigher ed overall, like, how do
they one break into the spaceand any thoughts on how they can
grow a career in the space?
Speaker 1 (19:39):
Oh, absolutely One thing is I feel you know, you
know, don't just build yourresume, like build your
reputation, that matters more.
Who you're connected to, whocan say your name in a room when
you're not there, that reallymatters when you're trying to
break into this sector.
And I think also, you know,being open to learning and
(20:01):
growing Like I don't, you know,even though I have these
credentials, I do not at allfeel like I come into an
institutional or space and feellike I know more than other
people, because I feel likeeveryone brings something to the
table and so you have to learnand grow, and that's my model
wherever I go.
So if you're willing to be thatadvancement leader that's
(20:24):
willing to learn and grow,that's willing to bring their
skills and talents, with thatentrepreneurial spirit of being
able to move relationships, thenyou will have an absolutely
great time in this sector anddoing these roles.
Speaker 2 (20:41):
How do you continue to build your brand and your
network and develop your skills?
You've spoken about some ofthat already.
Like you've spoken aboutgetting your master's,
continuing to learn even some ofthe peer mentoring right but
can you speak a little bit moreto that right?
I think it's important tocontinue to own your entire
brand as a professional, so we'dlove for people to hear how
(21:03):
you're doing that.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
Absolutely so.
I touched upon this, but I feelas if part of networking is
also you know, you said itearlier building my brand.
So I'm constantly trying tomeet new people at an
institution through the sorority, or I mentor other fundraisers
that are up and coming and thatyou know can learn from me and
(21:34):
with my, my major and principalgift work.
And I think that that'simportant because when you're
sharing your time and talent inthat way, that also allows
people to build your brand foryou, and sometimes you know, you
don't realize it, but they'reas you're teaching, as you're
coaching and mentoring, they'relearning and they're passing it
(21:55):
on to other people and that'sreally the hope is to for that
to come full circle.
So that's very important.
Another piece of advice I wouldsay is know when to pivot,
because I knew when to pivot.
It was time to pivot, leavingfrom being a counselor to
figuring out what was going tobe my life, my life's work, and.
(22:15):
But that doesn't necessarilymean that you're quitting.
I think that that you knowpeople think that if they can't
do something that, oh, I'm being, you know I'm quitting this,
but you know I feel like you.
There's's this power in knowingthat this is not working out
for me and I need to understandwhat is going to work out for me
and change direction so thatand you know that really unlocks
(22:35):
growth.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
I completely agree with that and I think knowing
that is so pivotal.
And you know, when you had your, your administrative role, you
could have.
If that's what you wanted,that's great.
You could have.
If that's what you wanted,that's great.
But if you found out thatthat's not what you wanted and
you were having some doubts, byyou taking the leap to have
conversations with people aboutit and then stepping into a
whole new role at anotherorganization, it's not unlocked
(22:58):
the whole career trajectory foryou that you probably couldn't
have really envisioned at thattime.
But you just took the leapright and you said you know what
?
I'm going to try this, let'stry to grow and learn something
else.
And if nothing else, if thatdoesn't work out, you already
have a solid standing on otherskillsets, so you can always
refer back to that.
But it is important, I think,to pivot and take leaps of faith
(23:20):
like that.
Speaker 1 (23:21):
And something else that comes to mind when it comes
to branding is I alwayschampion people publicly.
I'm a big celebrator, I love tocelebrate and recognize folks,
so I feel like when I shinelight on others that really
strengthens my leadership, andthen again I'm always about full
circle.
I think it comes back to me andothers see that example and
(23:45):
they share what I do, how I amto the broader community, and
that's also another way to brandyourself.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
Agreed, agreed, yeah, and, as you mentioned earlier,
right Like it sounds like you'vebeen surrounded by good leaders
throughout your career and evenearly on, so have someone be
more invested in you than in thework that you do for them.
It's huge right To say you knowwhat.
I think you should trysomething else, or I think you'd
be great bringing your skillsets elsewhere and like to now
to have that early on in yourcareer so pivotal, because now
(24:15):
you're able to like pass thatdown and you're able to like be
that type of leader.
So you know, I just Iappreciate when, when we're
surrounded by good leaders earlyon and we're able to like pull
from all of that.
Speaker 1 (24:27):
Yes, indeed, like you .
Speaker 2 (24:32):
You've been a great leader, Rowdy.
I feel like Columbia.
We definitely have some goodleadership in our respective
departments and all the things,so it was always a good learning
lesson there.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
In addition to earning my master's from
Columbia University in nonprofitmanagement, I'm also currently
pursuing a doctoral degree fromMontclair State University.
I'm in the Family Science andHuman Development program and my
research.
I'm really interested inlearning more and understanding
(25:00):
research that's about povertyalleviation and generational
wealth, and so my dissertationis really focusing on alumni
philanthropists of color andtheir influences on student
achievement and diverse familiesat Hispanic-serving
institutions.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
Wow, and what made you want to really pursue this
PhD, and how far into theprogram are you?
Speaker 1 (25:26):
I'm pretty far in there, many, many years.
I'm pretty far in there, and soright now I am in the process
of completing my data collection.
Once that occurs, there's somemore writing, a lot of analyzing
and, hopefully, defense of mydissertation within a year or
(25:47):
two.
Speaker 2 (25:48):
Was there a moment originally that made you want to
pursue a PhD?
Right?
Because I know I personallyknow a few peers either in PhD
programs or questioning ifthat's the next step for them.
So, like, what made you takethat leap there?
Speaker 1 (26:02):
Fabulous question.
I love this question because Iwanted to add my voice to the
research regarding thephilanthropic sector and I
realized very quickly that a lotof the research that was out
there regarding families ofcolor, people of color, were
from a deficit-based lens andI'm really looking forward to
(26:24):
having my strength-basedperspective and lens added to
the sector and to really bringpeople's awareness to the fact
that families of color, peopleof color we have our own
cultural nuances as to why we dothe things we do, and so
there's just way too muchresearch that's from a deficit
lens and I'm really lookingforward to getting and actually
(26:46):
my whole cohort we're all on thesame base of strength-based
approach to understanding mentalhealth, to understanding
philanthropy, to understandingreal issues that happen and
impact families, and that'sreally what motivated me and I'm
super excited to be doing thisresearch and to have my voice
(27:07):
and to also share the livedexperiences and voices of people
of color.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
That's great and I know specifically well.
First, you know I appreciateyou wanting to have that
perspective in the research,right?
I think it's important for moreof us to have those lenses
incorporated, especially notspeaking from a deficit
standpoint or really speakingfrom both lived experience and
both lived and professionalexperiences, right, and you know
(27:33):
, I also find it encouragingthat you found a program that
allows you to also workfull-time while doing it.
Right, I know, for me, assomeone that has considered and
is considering a PhD program, Iwill not go into a full-time
program where I will not beworking, Like that's just not
even an option for me, Right?
But having programs that arethat allow some of that
flexibility and allow you to,like, continue to work and and
(27:56):
support your family during thattime, I think it's very
important and encouragingspecifically in this field.
Speaker 1 (28:01):
Yes, and I will also add to that already that I don't
think people are aware, butthere is less than 2% of PhD
holders of color, and that'sincluding Black Latina folks.
So at the end of the day, lessthan 2%.
We are the minority of all theminorities when it comes to that
(28:25):
doctoral credential.
And one thing I want to assureand I actually want folks to
really understand and just befearless.
I was like you know what I'mgoing to take the leap of faith
and I'm going to apply to thisprogram because I feel like I
can add value to currentresearch and that's the reason
why I applied to the program.
(28:47):
I'm sure if you really dig deepand think about how you want to
affect change and the PhD routeis your route go for it and
don't feel as if, oh, I'm notsmart enough, I'm not this
enough.
Listen, if there's one thing Ican understand about this
program is that I'm constantlylearning and growing.
This constant edits to mydocument I mean I can't even
(29:08):
tell you how many times myproposal and my dissertation is
being edited.
But you know what?
It's okay because you want toprovide and put your best foot
forward and that's how you learn, and I feel that a lot of
people kind of have this stigmalike, oh, I'm not smart enough
to hold a PhD and you absolutelyare.
Speaker 2 (29:28):
And you know, I know you've mentioned this is your
calling and this is yourvocation.
For folks that are thinkingabout getting into development,
is this a lucrative career?
Can folks make a decent livingin this space?
Like, how much money can peopleactually expect to make 10, 20
years down the line?
Speaker 1 (29:48):
Yes, I would say it is a lucrative career and I feel
as if, like folks who are insales would definitely thrive in
this career, folks who or let'ssay, they went into sales and
then didn't really like howsales are Like, if you think
about sales with a little sideof social impact and community
(30:11):
engagement.
That's what this is about.
So if that's something thatyou're interested in, it could
be very lucrative for you,especially as you go up the
ladder and you start leadingteams, you start having
campaigns under your belt whereyou're raising significant
amounts of dollars for theinstitution.
It could be very lucrative.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
Awesome.
So, because it's the CareerCheat Code Podcast, can you give
us a sense of, in higher ed, indevelopment, right when you're
first starting out indevelopment, are you looking at
like a $30,000 to a $60,000range and as you move up?
Just, I want people to have anunderstanding of kind of what a
(30:53):
career here could look like, andit doesn't have to be specific
numbers and of course it'll varyby university, by state, by all
the things.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
Sure I can give you some ranges.
So when you're first startingout you know you may be in an
assistant role, assistantdirector role.
You're probably going to be inthe 80 to 90,000 range.
When or 70 to 90,000, actuallyconsistent, it's probably a
little lower.
When you're a director it couldbe six figures.
And then when let's say ifyou're a vice president, some
(31:25):
vice presidents I know make youknow almost as much as some
university presidents half amillion.
Speaker 2 (31:31):
Wow, okay, that's great.
And, you know, I think it'shelpful for people to understand
these numbers Right and also toknow that you can align impact
with doing well for yourselfRight, because it's a very
important role, Like if you'resecuring a lot of funds to
advance university priorities.
It's a lot of value that you'rebringing to this institution,
(31:54):
so that role should be wellcompensated.
And those folks, you know,that's really why those folks
build a Rolodex of people thatthey then have relationships
with right and that are externalto the university and are able
to, like, tap into differentpriorities at different moments.
So, you know, I appreciate yousharing that, because I do think
it's important for people tojust have an understanding of
(32:14):
what it could look like.
Speaker 1 (32:15):
And you know, something I want to make you
aware of is that that's nottypical for the nonprofit sector
.
So I think that probablyworking in higher is probably
some of the greater salariesNonprofit work.
Typically we're veryundervalued for what we do
because it's social impact, it'scommunity driven, it's
(32:39):
membership driven.
A lot of it is you know.
You know some donors do notwant to pay for salaries, so
it's all about the programmingand it's all about you know.
So the overhead is usually.
You know, nonprofits areusually struggling, especially
grassroots, to figure out how toget that done.
The sector itself is reallyundervalued and so I will say
(33:00):
that those numbers obviously arevery generous that I quoted.
But the reality is that we havea long way to go to really in
the nonprofit sector to reallyget people really living a life
that's worth value and that can.
But you know, the thing is thatit's about what drives you.
So a lot of people are driven bythe impact of that nonprofit,
(33:23):
so they don't mind working forless.
But I would say that as thesector's changing and we're
starting to realize that thevalue of our roles in the
nonprofit sector, the role thatit is going up, I will say that,
and I feel like I've seen,especially on LinkedIn, a lot of
recruiters that are actuallycalling attention to the fact
(33:45):
that some nonprofits are justnot it's not realistic the
salaries that they're there.
And I feel like that's goodnews for the sector because it's
showing that historicallypeople were like oh well, you're
working for a nonprofit, youdon't make any money.
But that shouldn't really bethe case.
It should be that you'rebringing this tremendous value,
(34:05):
you're having social impact,you're having the community
thriving because of what yourorganization is doing, so the
salary should reflect that, andI feel like there's a turning
point right now in the nonprofitsector where they're starting
to recognize that then we youknow nonprofit folks need to get
paid more.
Speaker 2 (34:23):
I love that and I appreciate you sharing that
right, because I will say partof the reason why I started this
podcast is to show that nexusright, like I was working at the
time I was working at the NewYork City Economic Development
Corporation and I saw thatworking in city government you
can make a good amount of money,and to me a good amount of
money as someone that grew up atthe poverty line in New York
City yes, city, you're makingsix figures.
(34:44):
You are like that is ridiculousto me.
I'm like, wait, there are cityjobs that you can do this with.
I always thought city jobs werelike low wages but you're there
for the pension or somethingI'm like, and the benefits I'm
like okay, well, that's not true.
Then you look at philanthropyand you're like wait, you guys
are making how much money to doreally good work.
So I realized that there's areally big intersection between
(35:07):
the impact that you can have andhow good and well you can do.
You know, I appreciate yousharing that because I do think
higher ed is specifically one ofthose sectors that can provide
a good living Nonprofits as well, I think, depending on the size
of the organizations, but thereare some nonprofit work that
you can do and you can be inleadership positions and make
(35:28):
really good money and really bealigned with the work that
you're doing.
So I appreciate you hearingthat there.
Speaker 1 (35:35):
Absolutely Happy to help and you know, you know you
said something that was veryimportant and that's the fact
that if this, this sector,changes lives Right and it
allows opportunities for thosewho are below poverty to get out
of poverty, and that'ssomething that I think is the
reason why a lot of folks, thatmission-driven approach, is why
(35:57):
a lot of folks are in the sector.
But, you know, it has to bereflective of the good work that
we're doing and I feel as ifwe're going in the right
direction and that makes mehappy and positive that this
sector is growing and it willstay for a while, for a long
(36:20):
time books, podcasts, movies,any other forms of media that
you have consumed that havehelped you personally or
professionally.
Speaker 2 (36:31):
And I'll give you some examples.
I've had people literally saythe Bible, right.
I've had people say differentsubscriptions, that they get so
weekly newsletters that justhelp them get a broader
understanding of their sector.
You know.
I've had people say the WallStreet Journal right or whatever
.
So wondering if there are anyand or it could be something
(36:52):
like Tuesdays with Maury, right,like whatever you've consumed
that has just shaped yourperspective personally or
professionally that you thinkpeople here should consume.
Speaker 1 (37:02):
Certainly so.
I watched this podcast calledCareer Cheat Code.
Speaker 2 (37:06):
Hey, that's right, that's right, that's right.
Speaker 1 (37:11):
I mean, in addition to watching that Career Cheat
Code podcast.
Speaker 2 (37:14):
That's right, that's right.
Speaker 1 (37:15):
This really good guy Ratty, that is an excellent
question.
Speaker 2 (37:20):
We don't even need an answer after that.
I think that's the best answer,honestly.
We just got there.
Speaker 1 (37:24):
No, but you know it's funny because.
So I'm just going to, I'm goingto put this out there.
But I've known you for so manyyears, since Columbia, and I
knew you were doing this podcastand I was just like, oh and I,
you know I would catch you andI'm like man Roddy's doing, he's
doing some great work.
He's doing some great work andyou know, I really I was just
(37:45):
like when we reconnected acouple of months ago, I was like
, let me look at this podcastagain.
I'm like, you know, what Ireally appreciate about your
podcast is that you really touchupon a broad array of positions
and levels of positions and youknow, you're really bringing to
light for people of color theopportunities that exist and I
(38:06):
really appreciate that.
It's just very authentic.
And so I just want to say thankyou for doing that, because I
feel like our communities needmore career cheat codes, because
people are just not aware ofthe tremendous opportunity
that's out there in regards tocareers and how you can uplift
your family out of povertysometimes, and it could be
(38:27):
deeply personal, and so I lovethat.
Speaker 2 (38:29):
Thank you, I appreciate it.
Is there anything else wehaven't discussed that the world
should know about you, nero?
Speaker 1 (38:35):
Oh, wow.
You know I will share.
You know that I come fromhumble beginnings, so so when
you, as soon as you said belowpoverty line, right there,
resonated with me, you knowagain, this work is deeply
personal for me.
You know, I was raised by asingle mother who really she
really gave all she had to makesure that my brother and I had a
(38:58):
better future.
And so I do this work becauseI've lived the reality of
financial hardship and I know,you know, what a scholarship, a
mentor and a warm meal can meanfor a student or family, and so
that just that really helps meto create access and build
equity for students' lives.
(39:20):
If there's one thing that Iwant folks to take away, it is
that everything I do is withintegrity and love, and so for
me I feel like philanthropy.
It just becomes a way for folksto reimagine what's possible
for entire communities, andthat's really a calling I'm
proud to answer every day.
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (39:41):
I appreciate you sharing this.
Thanks for joining us today.
Speaker 1 (39:43):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (39:44):
I hope you enjoyed this episode.
If you did and believe on themission we're on, please like,
rate and subscribe to thispodcast on whatever platform
you're using, and share thispodcast with your friends and
your networks.
Make sure you follow us onInstagram and LinkedIn at Career
Cheat Code and tell us peopleor careers you would like to see
highlighted.
See you next week with somemore cheat codes.
Peace.
I didn't want to be a regional administrative
assistant for the rest of mylife.
I knew that I had talent, I hadskills and I just needed to
hone in on those talents andskills in a way that allowed me
to get paid for those talentsand skills.
And you know, like I said, thisbecame my life's mission
because I was like what'simportant to me?
You know what's important to me?
(00:21):
The fact that I want everystudent, every youth, to have an
education.
So having higher ed accessibleto, to the masses was important
to me and I was like how do Iget there?
How do I get them there?
And then there was likefundraising through development
work.
You know, how do we get moreinternal and external
(00:43):
stakeholders to invest and bephilanthropic?
And so that's, that's.
That was my life.
Well, that's been my life forthe past 23 years.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Welcome to Career Cheat Code.
In this podcast, you'll hearhow everyday people impact the
world through their careers.
Learn about their journey,career hacks and obstacles along
the way.
Whether you're already havingthe impact you want or are
searching for it, this is thepodcast for you.
All right, yanira, welcome tothe show.
Hi, I appreciate you taking thetime to join the Career Cheat
(01:12):
Code podcast today.
Let's just dive right in.
Let's tell the world what it isyou do for a living.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Oh, great, Thank you.
Thank you for having me, Haradi.
It's a pleasure to be here andan honor.
As you know, my name is YaniraAmadeo and I am currently an
executive director ofdevelopment at University of
Connecticut.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Foundation.
What does that mean?
What does that mean on like aday-to-day?
You walk in on a Monday, you dosome good things.
It sounds really fancy, butwhat are you actually tasked
with doing?
Speaker 1 (01:35):
So, if I had to think about it, I would consider
myself a philanthropicstrategist higher ed leader,
really, with I have over twodecades of experience working in
higher ed at variousinstitutions, and it's really
about helping students andfamilies access life-changing
opportunities through education.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
So you are working with the foundation of the
university.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
To raise funds, and what do you ultimately do with
those funds?
Speaker 1 (02:02):
So a lot of the funds go.
It goes back into student life,it goes back into research
priorities.
It goes basically supports thefunction of the university
students first, obviously, andthen other parts of the other
parts of the university thatpotential investors might find
fascinating to invest back in.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
That's awesome.
So, hypothetically, as someonethat now has a kid that's going
off to college right, these arethe parts that keep the
university running that he maynot see right, but part of the
reason why maybe his financialaid package looks the way it is
is because of some of the workthat you're doing, why some of
the new facilities that arecoming online, like a new
renovation to a gym, arehappening or a new lab.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
Are those the type of things that you're working on?
Absolutely, my work reallybridges generosity and justice.
So whether I'm raising millionsfor scholarships or mentoring
future fundraisers or helpingalumni direct their investments
in research for faculty membersand what specific colleges have
going on.
As far as trying the socialimpact of you know, right now
I'm in Connecticut, so socialimpact of Connecticut and beyond
, that's really my day to day.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Wow, that sounds great.
What's your favorite part ofyour role?
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Really it's the relationship building, the
connecting to other people.
I often my, you know, as astrategist.
I'm constantly thinking aboutways to get more alumni, more
external and internalstakeholders involved in what
the university is doing and theimpact it could have broadly a
(03:40):
research symposium orinteracting with student mentor
groups.
That's really the highlight ofmy time and my day during the
week while I'm there.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
So it sounds like you have a task to both interact
with people internally withinthe university and externally
and hearing what faculty whatstudent groups, what
administration needs and thentrying to find some of the
funding to support thosepriorities and then going
externally and finding peoplethat align with that.
Does that sound right?
Speaker 1 (04:12):
Absolutely, Absolutely.
You know, what some folks don'trealize is that philanthropy
and development work, it's abridge.
It bridges people, it bridges,it connects what the university
has going on what the studentsare doing.
It connects what the universityhas going on what the students
are doing faculty and staff withthe broader community, and so
it really has, it reallyintersects, you know,
possibility and purpose.
(04:32):
So so my role is not reallyabout just raising money.
It's really about creatingaccess and building equity to
transform those student lives.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
That's great.
What do you think are some ofthe skills that you need for
this type of role?
What do you see yourself reallytapping into for the most part?
Speaker 1 (04:49):
I would say definitely.
You need to be a leader, havehigh leadership skills and
entrepreneurial skills andreally have the ability to move
people and move initiatives thatthe university is having so
that you can get those internaland external stakeholders to
(05:09):
invest in support.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
What do you think is the least favorite or most
challenging part of your role?
Speaker 1 (05:18):
Well, you know it's funny, you say funny.
You ask I don't really have aleast favorite because I, you
know, I really consider this mylife's mission and so for me
this is not work.
I come every day with a smileon my face because I know that I
have impact students' lives and, you know, once I decided that
I wanted to go this route intohigher ed development work, I
(05:38):
knew that, you know, first Itook the steps to get my
credentials, but then I also I'mable to learn from, I have a
peer mentor groups and I alsohave just other executive leader
mentor groups that I tap intoas a resource.
So for me I don't really havelike a least favorite thing.
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
That is, I'm sure, not the case for a lot of folks.
I'm glad that you can find that, as you're calling your
vocation and development,specifically in the university
level.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
You know that old adage.
You know, if you do what youlove, it's not work.
It really is true.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
So let's work backwards now.
So let's talk about yourupbringing.
You mentioned, you know, onceyou found that this was your
calling One.
Do you feel like this hasalways been your calling do?
Speaker 1 (06:23):
you feel like this has always been your calling.
No, so I actually I went to StJohn's for psychology with a
social work minor and I thoughtI was going to change the world,
become the social worker andreally help children and youth
thrive in that way.
And you know, I was a counselorfor a group home for young
(06:46):
women for two years aftercollege and I just realized very
quickly that that wasn't thedirection that I wanted to do
with my life and I had to pivot.
And so you know that feeling atthat really and it wasn't like
feeling like oh my God, I washorrible it was just that it's a
really demanding, mentallyheavy position and I wanted to
(07:10):
do something that didn't make mefeel like coming into work was
a chore or coming into work wasto hear the trauma of these
young ladies was just affectingme mentally, ladies was just
affecting me mentally.
And so I had to pivot andreally develop a plan for what I
(07:30):
wanted my life to look at.
And you know I was looking atwhat I really love to do.
And so in college, being part ofa sorority, it really got me
going with the you know thephilanthropic activities.
We were always fundraising forthis or that, and I just it gave
me the bug to fundraise.
And then I was like you know,as I'm figuring things out as an
as as a a regional executive atat uh assistant, I'm, I'm
(07:52):
thinking how can I, how can Iincorporate fundraising in my
life?
And that just started.
You know, I started doing someresearch and I realized that
there, there were some programsout there for nonprofit
management.
And that's when I earned mynonprofit management degree from
Columbia University and it wassuch a life changer for me
because it really everythingthat I've been wanting to do.
(08:14):
It allowed me to understand ittheoretically and then, once I
graduated, I was able to put itinto practice.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
Wow, and were you also working at Columbia during
that time?
Wow, and were you also workingat Columbia during that?
Speaker 1 (08:23):
time.
I was, indeed, I was indeed.
So I started after my regionalrole.
I was a regional executiveassistant at a security firm.
My boss was like you know,great guy, love him today.
But he was like.
He was like you know, yanita,you're, he's like you're too
(08:43):
good for this role.
What do you really want out oflife?
Where do you want to be?
What do you want to do?
And I said you know, I'vealways wanted to be in the
higher ed space and this it wasa security like a security firm,
not like securities, but it wasa security firm.
And they just happened to haveties to Columbia University and
he goes.
You know, I may know someonewho can make an introduction and
(09:05):
sure enough, I didn't believehim.
But he absolutely made anintroduction and I was able to
begin my career at Columbia andI was there for about 12 years
before I moved on.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
That's great and I also you know.
I really appreciate that youshared that.
You know you're able to also goto school and get a master's
from Columbia while you're thereRight, Because I think one of
my biggest career cheat codes isworking at a university and
getting a master's paid forRight, Especially if you can go
do that at a place like Columbia.
Now, like now, you have an Ivydegree and you're doing it with,
(09:38):
you know, one of the biggestbenefits that come to you as an
employee.
Right, Like technically, ifyou're not taking advantage of
all of your benefits, you'reprobably underpaid, right.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
So I can add to that and say that you're absolutely
right.
And but one thing, that people,I also don't want to put the
misconception out there thatonce you're an employee it's an
automatic thing.
Because I think you still was.
I still had to apply, I stillhad to fill out my application,
write an essay, do everything Ihad to do for the program.
And I have to tell you I was onpins and needles wondering if I
(10:11):
was going to to get in, andthen when I got in, I was like,
oh my gosh, you know, and itdefinitely was satisfying to
that I was able to achieve that.
But I think what was morerewarding was the fact that that
degree really aligned with mypassion and it's really helped
me in my career since then.
And so I would definitelycredit if employees, if you're
(10:34):
at a university and you kind oflike stuck and you feel like, oh
, you know, they put me in thisbox, I can never get out of this
box hone in on those talentsand skills in a way that allowed
(11:04):
me to get paid for thosetalents and skills.
And you know, you know, like Isaid, this became my life's
mission because I was likewhat's important to me.
You know what's important to me?
The fact that I want everystudent, every youth to have an
education.
So having higher ed accessibleto, to the masses was important
(11:24):
to me and I was like how do Iget there?
How do I get them there?
And then there was likefundraising through development
work.
You know, how do we get moreinternal and external
stakeholders to invest and bephilanthropic, and so that's,
that's.
That was my life.
Well, that's been my life forthe past 23 years.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
That's that's, that was my life.
Well, that's been my life forthe past 23 years.
So, in those 12 years atColumbia, what role did you
originally start with and whatrole did you end up leaving with
?
I'm just trying to get a senseof the growth that you can have
internally within within anorganization, and how your
portfolio can shift.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
Oh for sure, Absolutely.
And I will say I worked my wayup the ladder.
I started as cause remember Iwas coming from being a regional
executive assistant to, so Istarted as an admin, I was like
an admin coordinator, but then Iquickly went up into like
project manager and I think I'veI think I was promoted like at
(12:14):
least three or four times whileI come here and the the my a lot
of my earlier years at Columbia.
I was doing a lot of event workand I remember I had a
portfolio of like I think it waslike $175,000 that the
university had allocated to docommunity events.
And you know, when theuniversity was trying to expand
(12:37):
into Manhattanville, theystarted to shift their focus
into not necessarily supportinggroups in that way, but to
support groups in other waystechnical support, fundraising
support and so that then itbecame a whole community issue
and I really liked that it wascommunity based, because that
really let me understand whatthe community cared about
(12:59):
regarding philanthropy and howan institution as large as
Columbia can really make animpact and be a good neighbor to
their, to their, to theirneighbors.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
Absolutely, and that's how you and I met Right.
Like you were doing a lot ofwork with Columbia Community
Service and you know our pathsoverlap as I worked at Columbia
and just me learning about thework that you all were doing and
that was I gravitated towardsthat right Because I always kind
of knew that I was going to gointo philanthropy at some point.
So I kind of gravitated to thework that you all are doing and
you all were so community driven, community focused, that it
(13:32):
just spoke to me.
So you know, I definitelycommend you and all the great
work that you all did to supporta lot of local organizations,
leverage the employee funds thatwere available and try to like,
make some, make some goodalignment with, like, how do we
support the community, just asemployees here now.
So you're leaving Columbia, asyou're going to, you know, after
(13:52):
12 years, make a big leap right, because after you're somewhere
for 12 years, it is easy tojust say you know, I'm just
going to ride this out and stickaround for a little longer.
What ultimately made you decideto make the shift and what kind
of roles were you looking for?
Speaker 1 (14:05):
That's a great question.
So ultimately, what happened isthat once I earned my degree,
then I just got the bug.
I wanted to save the world in awhole other, different light.
So I was like I've donecommunity development work.
So I was like I, you know I'vedone community development work.
You know I wanted to understandhigher ed in a different space
(14:28):
of understanding how to build,build up alumni development.
And that's when I really itreally sat with me how the
alumni connection toinstitutions was very important,
and so I ended up.
I had an opportunity.
I was recruited to PaceUniversity.
I had opportunity there beingand actually it was at their law
school and I did alumnidevelopment work there.
(14:50):
You know great people and youknow out of Westchester and from
there I then went to MontclairState, which is the second
largest public university in NewJersey, and then I really that
really, you know, all of theseexperiences really allowed me to
hone my alumni development workand my major gift work.
(15:11):
That was just an eye opener forme, because I realized that I
had this talent for being ableto build relationships with
alumni, with externalstakeholders who may not be
alumni but were so invested inthe institution's greatness and
the institution's ability tomake change and affect social
changes, that I was like, oh,this is exactly where I want to
(15:36):
be, this is exactly what I wantto do, and I do credit Columbia
University with giving.
You know, give me those tools,those theoretical tools, and but
don't get me wrong Anyone like,if you do not have, let's say,
a nonprofit management degree,there are ways to break into the
sector and you know I, yes, Ihad that degree from Columbia,
(15:59):
but I also used a lot of mydegree from St John's in
psychology and social work toreally understand those nuances
with building relationships.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
Yeah, that makes a lot of sense and it's you know,
it's interesting because you'resomewhere for 12 years Right,
and then you get this master'sdegree and it sounds like that
almost kind of catapulted orsparked something in you to like
own your career even more.
Or sparked something in you toown your career even more right
and go to Pace, go to Montclairand understand how you can
continue to grow and not onlyleverage the experience that you
(16:30):
had but also the degrees thatyou had right, because being at
a place like Columbia or at anIvy League or one of those
really renowned institutions,the experience that you bring
from there is much more valuableoutside of that place.
Someone at it especially ifyou're trying to stay in higher
ed right, like someone's alwaysgoing to say well, we would love
to do what Columbia's doing.
How do you bring that here?
(16:50):
We would love to learn abouthow to leverage your master's
degree from that type ofinstitution over here and let's
bring that talent here.
So it just sounds like thatsparked now kind of a trajectory
that has snowballed into intowhere you are today.
Speaker 1 (17:05):
Absolutely yes, it has.
Thank you Thank you foracknowledging that.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
No for sure, no for sure, I think it's, it's, it's
really commendable.
And you know, you and I havehad conversations through the
years, but I just, you know, I,I love to see people that are
like just owning their careersand like going for what they,
for what they feel like is theircalling and all the things.
So now you're at UConn, now.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
So this is it sounds like a pretty similar role to
some of the work that you weredoing at Columbia, Just of
course.
Now you're in a much biggerleadership position and leading
a lot of the strategy.
Tell me more about how you areable to ingrain yourself in
different communities, right,Because Columbia?
Speaker 1 (17:53):
is in Harlem, then you have Montclair in New Jersey
, now you have UConn inConnecticut.
How are you able to able todevelop strategies for the
largest college at theuniversity?
But I think the reason why I'mable to work in various
populations is because I'm justa firm believer that
philanthropy isn't just anotherperson thrive, and so that's
(18:17):
what I do and that's how Iconnect people back to the
university and that can beapplied to, I would say, like I
would say that another, I wouldsay like another superpower that
(18:48):
I have is just owning my story.
Like I own it, I shape it, Ishare it as often as possible.
So being with you today isthat's part of my, my journey as
an executive leader inadvancement work and, you know,
being able to get other folksinvolved in the sector.
You know my sector is not a lotof folks that look like me.
(19:10):
So I want to, you know, I knowthat I'm kind of being that
representative for other womenleaders of color who are doing
fabulous work in the space andmay need to you know, may need
that visibility.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
What advice would you have for someone that is trying
to break into this sector,thinking about going into
development or just working inhigher ed overall, like, how do
they one break into the spaceand any thoughts on how they can
grow a career in the space?
Speaker 1 (19:39):
Oh, absolutely One thing is I feel you know, you
know, don't just build yourresume, like build your
reputation, that matters more.
Who you're connected to, whocan say your name in a room when
you're not there, that reallymatters when you're trying to
break into this sector.
And I think also, you know,being open to learning and
(20:01):
growing Like I don't, you know,even though I have these
credentials, I do not at allfeel like I come into an
institutional or space and feellike I know more than other
people, because I feel likeeveryone brings something to the
table and so you have to learnand grow, and that's my model
wherever I go.
So if you're willing to be thatadvancement leader that's
(20:24):
willing to learn and grow,that's willing to bring their
skills and talents, with thatentrepreneurial spirit of being
able to move relationships, thenyou will have an absolutely
great time in this sector anddoing these roles.
Speaker 2 (20:41):
How do you continue to build your brand and your
network and develop your skills?
You've spoken about some ofthat already.
Like you've spoken aboutgetting your master's,
continuing to learn even some ofthe peer mentoring right but
can you speak a little bit moreto that right?
I think it's important tocontinue to own your entire
brand as a professional, so we'dlove for people to hear how
(21:03):
you're doing that.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
Absolutely so.
I touched upon this, but I feelas if part of networking is
also you know, you said itearlier building my brand.
So I'm constantly trying tomeet new people at an
institution through the sorority, or I mentor other fundraisers
that are up and coming and thatyou know can learn from me and
(21:34):
with my, my major and principalgift work.
And I think that that'simportant because when you're
sharing your time and talent inthat way, that also allows
people to build your brand foryou, and sometimes you know, you
don't realize it, but they'reas you're teaching, as you're
coaching and mentoring, they'relearning and they're passing it
(21:55):
on to other people and that'sreally the hope is to for that
to come full circle.
So that's very important.
Another piece of advice I wouldsay is know when to pivot,
because I knew when to pivot.
It was time to pivot, leavingfrom being a counselor to
figuring out what was going tobe my life, my life's work, and.
(22:15):
But that doesn't necessarilymean that you're quitting.
I think that that you knowpeople think that if they can't
do something that, oh, I'm being, you know I'm quitting this,
but you know I feel like you.
There's's this power in knowingthat this is not working out
for me and I need to understandwhat is going to work out for me
and change direction so thatand you know that really unlocks
(22:35):
growth.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
I completely agree with that and I think knowing
that is so pivotal.
And you know, when you had your, your administrative role, you
could have.
If that's what you wanted,that's great.
You could have.
If that's what you wanted,that's great.
But if you found out thatthat's not what you wanted and
you were having some doubts, byyou taking the leap to have
conversations with people aboutit and then stepping into a
whole new role at anotherorganization, it's not unlocked
(22:58):
the whole career trajectory foryou that you probably couldn't
have really envisioned at thattime.
But you just took the leapright and you said you know what
?
I'm going to try this, let'stry to grow and learn something
else.
And if nothing else, if thatdoesn't work out, you already
have a solid standing on otherskillsets, so you can always
refer back to that.
But it is important, I think,to pivot and take leaps of faith
(23:20):
like that.
Speaker 1 (23:21):
And something else that comes to mind when it comes
to branding is I alwayschampion people publicly.
I'm a big celebrator, I love tocelebrate and recognize folks,
so I feel like when I shinelight on others that really
strengthens my leadership, andthen again I'm always about full
circle.
I think it comes back to me andothers see that example and
(23:45):
they share what I do, how I amto the broader community, and
that's also another way to brandyourself.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
Agreed, agreed, yeah, and, as you mentioned earlier,
right Like it sounds like you'vebeen surrounded by good leaders
throughout your career and evenearly on, so have someone be
more invested in you than in thework that you do for them.
It's huge right To say you knowwhat.
I think you should trysomething else, or I think you'd
be great bringing your skillsets elsewhere and like to now
to have that early on in yourcareer so pivotal, because now
(24:15):
you're able to like pass thatdown and you're able to like be
that type of leader.
So you know, I just Iappreciate when, when we're
surrounded by good leaders earlyon and we're able to like pull
from all of that.
Speaker 1 (24:27):
Yes, indeed, like you .
Speaker 2 (24:32):
You've been a great leader, Rowdy.
I feel like Columbia.
We definitely have some goodleadership in our respective
departments and all the things,so it was always a good learning
lesson there.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
In addition to earning my master's from
Columbia University in nonprofitmanagement, I'm also currently
pursuing a doctoral degree fromMontclair State University.
I'm in the Family Science andHuman Development program and my
research.
I'm really interested inlearning more and understanding
(25:00):
research that's about povertyalleviation and generational
wealth, and so my dissertationis really focusing on alumni
philanthropists of color andtheir influences on student
achievement and diverse familiesat Hispanic-serving
institutions.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
Wow, and what made you want to really pursue this
PhD, and how far into theprogram are you?
Speaker 1 (25:26):
I'm pretty far in there, many, many years.
I'm pretty far in there, and soright now I am in the process
of completing my data collection.
Once that occurs, there's somemore writing, a lot of analyzing
and, hopefully, defense of mydissertation within a year or
(25:47):
two.
Speaker 2 (25:48):
Was there a moment originally that made you want to
pursue a PhD?
Right?
Because I know I personallyknow a few peers either in PhD
programs or questioning ifthat's the next step for them.
So, like, what made you takethat leap there?
Speaker 1 (26:02):
Fabulous question.
I love this question because Iwanted to add my voice to the
research regarding thephilanthropic sector and I
realized very quickly that a lotof the research that was out
there regarding families ofcolor, people of color, were
from a deficit-based lens andI'm really looking forward to
(26:24):
having my strength-basedperspective and lens added to
the sector and to really bringpeople's awareness to the fact
that families of color, peopleof color we have our own
cultural nuances as to why we dothe things we do, and so
there's just way too muchresearch that's from a deficit
lens and I'm really lookingforward to getting and actually
(26:46):
my whole cohort we're all on thesame base of strength-based
approach to understanding mentalhealth, to understanding
philanthropy, to understandingreal issues that happen and
impact families, and that'sreally what motivated me and I'm
super excited to be doing thisresearch and to have my voice
(27:07):
and to also share the livedexperiences and voices of people
of color.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
That's great and I know specifically well.
First, you know I appreciateyou wanting to have that
perspective in the research,right?
I think it's important for moreof us to have those lenses
incorporated, especially notspeaking from a deficit
standpoint or really speakingfrom both lived experience and
both lived and professionalexperiences, right, and you know
(27:33):
, I also find it encouragingthat you found a program that
allows you to also workfull-time while doing it.
Right, I know, for me, assomeone that has considered and
is considering a PhD program, Iwill not go into a full-time
program where I will not beworking, Like that's just not
even an option for me, Right?
But having programs that arethat allow some of that
flexibility and allow you to,like, continue to work and and
(27:56):
support your family during thattime, I think it's very
important and encouragingspecifically in this field.
Speaker 1 (28:01):
Yes, and I will also add to that already that I don't
think people are aware, butthere is less than 2% of PhD
holders of color, and that'sincluding Black Latina folks.
So at the end of the day, lessthan 2%.
We are the minority of all theminorities when it comes to that
(28:25):
doctoral credential.
And one thing I want to assureand I actually want folks to
really understand and just befearless.
I was like you know what I'mgoing to take the leap of faith
and I'm going to apply to thisprogram because I feel like I
can add value to currentresearch and that's the reason
why I applied to the program.
(28:47):
I'm sure if you really dig deepand think about how you want to
affect change and the PhD routeis your route go for it and
don't feel as if, oh, I'm notsmart enough, I'm not this
enough.
Listen, if there's one thing Ican understand about this
program is that I'm constantlylearning and growing.
This constant edits to mydocument I mean I can't even
(29:08):
tell you how many times myproposal and my dissertation is
being edited.
But you know what?
It's okay because you want toprovide and put your best foot
forward and that's how you learn, and I feel that a lot of
people kind of have this stigmalike, oh, I'm not smart enough
to hold a PhD and you absolutelyare.
Speaker 2 (29:28):
And you know, I know you've mentioned this is your
calling and this is yourvocation.
For folks that are thinkingabout getting into development,
is this a lucrative career?
Can folks make a decent livingin this space?
Like, how much money can peopleactually expect to make 10, 20
years down the line?
Speaker 1 (29:48):
Yes, I would say it is a lucrative career and I feel
as if, like folks who are insales would definitely thrive in
this career, folks who or let'ssay, they went into sales and
then didn't really like howsales are Like, if you think
about sales with a little sideof social impact and community
(30:11):
engagement.
That's what this is about.
So if that's something thatyou're interested in, it could
be very lucrative for you,especially as you go up the
ladder and you start leadingteams, you start having
campaigns under your belt whereyou're raising significant
amounts of dollars for theinstitution.
It could be very lucrative.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
Awesome.
So, because it's the CareerCheat Code Podcast, can you give
us a sense of, in higher ed, indevelopment, right when you're
first starting out indevelopment, are you looking at
like a $30,000 to a $60,000range and as you move up?
Just, I want people to have anunderstanding of kind of what a
(30:53):
career here could look like, andit doesn't have to be specific
numbers and of course it'll varyby university, by state, by all
the things.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
Sure I can give you some ranges.
So when you're first startingout you know you may be in an
assistant role, assistantdirector role.
You're probably going to be inthe 80 to 90,000 range.
When or 70 to 90,000, actuallyconsistent, it's probably a
little lower.
When you're a director it couldbe six figures.
And then when let's say ifyou're a vice president, some
(31:25):
vice presidents I know make youknow almost as much as some
university presidents half amillion.
Speaker 2 (31:31):
Wow, okay, that's great.
And, you know, I think it'shelpful for people to understand
these numbers Right and also toknow that you can align impact
with doing well for yourselfRight, because it's a very
important role, Like if you'resecuring a lot of funds to
advance university priorities.
It's a lot of value that you'rebringing to this institution,
(31:54):
so that role should be wellcompensated.
And those folks, you know,that's really why those folks
build a Rolodex of people thatthey then have relationships
with right and that are externalto the university and are able
to, like, tap into differentpriorities at different moments.
So, you know, I appreciate yousharing that, because I do think
it's important for people tojust have an understanding of
(32:14):
what it could look like.
Speaker 1 (32:15):
And you know, something I want to make you
aware of is that that's nottypical for the nonprofit sector
.
So I think that probablyworking in higher is probably
some of the greater salariesNonprofit work.
Typically we're veryundervalued for what we do
because it's social impact, it'scommunity driven, it's
(32:39):
membership driven.
A lot of it is you know.
You know some donors do notwant to pay for salaries, so
it's all about the programmingand it's all about you know.
So the overhead is usually.
You know, nonprofits areusually struggling, especially
grassroots, to figure out how toget that done.
The sector itself is reallyundervalued and so I will say
(33:00):
that those numbers obviously arevery generous that I quoted.
But the reality is that we havea long way to go to really in
the nonprofit sector to reallyget people really living a life
that's worth value and that can.
But you know, the thing is thatit's about what drives you.
So a lot of people are driven bythe impact of that nonprofit,
(33:23):
so they don't mind working forless.
But I would say that as thesector's changing and we're
starting to realize that thevalue of our roles in the
nonprofit sector, the role thatit is going up, I will say that,
and I feel like I've seen,especially on LinkedIn, a lot of
recruiters that are actuallycalling attention to the fact
(33:45):
that some nonprofits are justnot it's not realistic the
salaries that they're there.
And I feel like that's goodnews for the sector because it's
showing that historicallypeople were like oh well, you're
working for a nonprofit, youdon't make any money.
But that shouldn't really bethe case.
It should be that you'rebringing this tremendous value,
(34:05):
you're having social impact,you're having the community
thriving because of what yourorganization is doing, so the
salary should reflect that, andI feel like there's a turning
point right now in the nonprofitsector where they're starting
to recognize that then we youknow nonprofit folks need to get
paid more.
Speaker 2 (34:23):
I love that and I appreciate you sharing that
right, because I will say partof the reason why I started this
podcast is to show that nexusright, like I was working at the
time I was working at the NewYork City Economic Development
Corporation and I saw thatworking in city government you
can make a good amount of money,and to me a good amount of
money as someone that grew up atthe poverty line in New York
City yes, city, you're makingsix figures.
(34:44):
You are like that is ridiculousto me.
I'm like, wait, there are cityjobs that you can do this with.
I always thought city jobs werelike low wages but you're there
for the pension or somethingI'm like, and the benefits I'm
like okay, well, that's not true.
Then you look at philanthropyand you're like wait, you guys
are making how much money to doreally good work.
So I realized that there's areally big intersection between
(35:07):
the impact that you can have andhow good and well you can do.
You know, I appreciate yousharing that because I do think
higher ed is specifically one ofthose sectors that can provide
a good living Nonprofits as well, I think, depending on the size
of the organizations, but thereare some nonprofit work that
you can do and you can be inleadership positions and make
(35:28):
really good money and really bealigned with the work that
you're doing.
So I appreciate you hearingthat there.
Speaker 1 (35:35):
Absolutely Happy to help and you know, you know you
said something that was veryimportant and that's the fact
that if this, this sector,changes lives Right and it
allows opportunities for thosewho are below poverty to get out
of poverty, and that'ssomething that I think is the
reason why a lot of folks, thatmission-driven approach, is why
(35:57):
a lot of folks are in the sector.
But, you know, it has to bereflective of the good work that
we're doing and I feel as ifwe're going in the right
direction and that makes mehappy and positive that this
sector is growing and it willstay for a while, for a long
(36:20):
time books, podcasts, movies,any other forms of media that
you have consumed that havehelped you personally or
professionally.
Speaker 2 (36:31):
And I'll give you some examples.
I've had people literally saythe Bible, right.
I've had people say differentsubscriptions, that they get so
weekly newsletters that justhelp them get a broader
understanding of their sector.
You know.
I've had people say the WallStreet Journal right or whatever
.
So wondering if there are anyand or it could be something
(36:52):
like Tuesdays with Maury, right,like whatever you've consumed
that has just shaped yourperspective personally or
professionally that you thinkpeople here should consume.
Speaker 1 (37:02):
Certainly so.
I watched this podcast calledCareer Cheat Code.
Speaker 2 (37:06):
Hey, that's right, that's right, that's right.
Speaker 1 (37:11):
I mean, in addition to watching that Career Cheat
Code podcast.
Speaker 2 (37:14):
That's right, that's right.
Speaker 1 (37:15):
This really good guy Ratty, that is an excellent
question.
Speaker 2 (37:20):
We don't even need an answer after that.
I think that's the best answer,honestly.
We just got there.
Speaker 1 (37:24):
No, but you know it's funny because.
So I'm just going to, I'm goingto put this out there.
But I've known you for so manyyears, since Columbia, and I
knew you were doing this podcastand I was just like, oh and I,
you know I would catch you andI'm like man Roddy's doing, he's
doing some great work.
He's doing some great work andyou know, I really I was just
(37:45):
like when we reconnected acouple of months ago, I was like
, let me look at this podcastagain.
I'm like, you know, what Ireally appreciate about your
podcast is that you really touchupon a broad array of positions
and levels of positions and youknow, you're really bringing to
light for people of color theopportunities that exist and I
(38:06):
really appreciate that.
It's just very authentic.
And so I just want to say thankyou for doing that, because I
feel like our communities needmore career cheat codes, because
people are just not aware ofthe tremendous opportunity
that's out there in regards tocareers and how you can uplift
your family out of povertysometimes, and it could be
(38:27):
deeply personal, and so I lovethat.
Speaker 2 (38:29):
Thank you, I appreciate it.
Is there anything else wehaven't discussed that the world
should know about you, nero?
Speaker 1 (38:35):
Oh, wow.
You know I will share.
You know that I come fromhumble beginnings, so so when
you, as soon as you said belowpoverty line, right there,
resonated with me, you knowagain, this work is deeply
personal for me.
You know, I was raised by asingle mother who really she
really gave all she had to makesure that my brother and I had a
(38:58):
better future.
And so I do this work becauseI've lived the reality of
financial hardship and I know,you know, what a scholarship, a
mentor and a warm meal can meanfor a student or family, and so
that just that really helps meto create access and build
equity for students' lives.
(39:20):
If there's one thing that Iwant folks to take away, it is
that everything I do is withintegrity and love, and so for
me I feel like philanthropy.
It just becomes a way for folksto reimagine what's possible
for entire communities, andthat's really a calling I'm
proud to answer every day.
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (39:41):
I appreciate you sharing this.
Thanks for joining us today.
Speaker 1 (39:43):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (39:44):
I hope you enjoyed this episode.
If you did and believe on themission we're on, please like,
rate and subscribe to thispodcast on whatever platform
you're using, and share thispodcast with your friends and
your networks.
Make sure you follow us onInstagram and LinkedIn at Career
Cheat Code and tell us peopleor careers you would like to see
highlighted.
See you next week with somemore cheat codes.
Peace.
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