Podcast: Empowering Change: Navigating Capital Campaigns and Diversity in Fundraising with Jacqueline House

Season 3, Episode 37

In this episode, Andrea Kihlstedt engages in a candid conversation with Jacqueline House, Vice President of Communications and Community Involvement at Safe Children Coalition in Sarasota, Florida. Jacqueline, a trailblazing woman of color, shares her journey in fundraising and communications, shedding light on the challenges and triumphs of leading a $7.5 million capital campaign in an organization undergoing significant transformation.

Discover how Jacqueline’s strength, courage, and strategic approach have propelled her through the complexities of fundraising in a predominantly white-led organization. Gain valuable insights into the dynamics of being a person of color in leadership and the nuanced strategies employed to navigate unconscious biases.

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Andrea Kihlstedt:
Capital campaigns are not for the faint of heart. My special guest today, Jacqueline House of Safe Children Coalition in Sarasota, Florida is a pillar of strength and courage. Welcome, Jacqueline.

Jacqueline you’re the Vice President of Communications and Community Involvement for Safe Children Coalition in Sarasota, Florida. That’s a big organization. You’ve got a budget of more than $50 million. Whoa, welcome.

Jacqueline House:
Thank you. So good to be here.

Andrea Kihlstedt:
Yeah, great. You’ve got a big job and it’s made even bigger by the fact that you’re overseeing, you’re running really a capital campaign to raise $7.5 million on top of what you already do. That’s amazing. And to make your job and your position even more complicated, you’re a woman of color in an organization led by mostly white folks. That’s a challenge.

I invited you to speak with me today because I want to know about your campaign, but I also want to know what it’s like to be a woman of color in a largely white organization when the pressure is so high.

Jaqueline’s Background in Fundraising

Let’s start with this, Jacqueline, tell me how you came to this. How did you come to working in fundraising and communications?

Jacqueline House:
I’m sure my story is not so unique. Most of us did not plan to be in fundraising when we went to college and I originally wanted to be a part of the helping professions, helping people because of my upbringing and background. But what I found is that I wear my heart on my sleeve and I wanted to take everybody home, but I have the ability to communicate and I have gift of writing and marketing and all of the things that I love come together in fundraising, and so that’s how I found myself in fundraising. It just kind of fell in my lap. It appeared and the organization where I started needed someone to do it and I was the best person to do it.

Andrea Kihlstedt:
You stepped into the role?

Jacqueline House:
I stepped into the role and learned the role as I traveled down the highway, and I think I’ve gotten pretty good.

Andrea Kihlstedt:
I think you have gotten pretty good at it. That’s what I see. Yes. How long have you been at the Safe Children Coalition?

Jacqueline House:
I’ve been at the Safe Children Coalition three years just in October.

Andrea Kihlstedt:
Right. And when you came to that organization, you found that it was in the middle of some pretty significant change.

Jacqueline House:
It was in the middle of a transition, a change within this community that was pretty significant, changing names, changing structure, not to really having a fundraising department, a working fundraising department. And so it’s been a challenge rebuilding just the annual campaign and the fundraising department and adding a capital campaign on top of that.

Andrea Kihlstedt:
Yeah, that’s quite an undertaking, but before we move into the capital campaign, and I do want to talk to you about that, because I think it’s fascinating.

Working as a Woman of Color at a Less Diverse Organization

I am so curious about what it’s like for you as a person of color in an organization that is not populated at the administrative and leadership levels by people of color. Has that given you pause? Did you think twice about it before you took it on? Tell us a little about that.

Jacqueline House:
I did not think twice about it because it is my norm In every organization that I’ve worked in, it has not been significantly led by people of color. And I think it’s a valid question, but it’s a trick question because in my world it is normal.

That’s what I have seen, and so I think when you are in this profession or any profession as a person of color, you get to this level where you become comfortable not having people who look like you in the room and you become comfortable speaking up and saying what needs to be said to get the work done. I think that being a woman of color in an environment where there are not those representatives who are leading some things come to the forefront. Some things about how I conduct myself come to the forefront. One, I’m always over-prepared. I have lots of letters behind my name because I feel the need to be over-prepared.

I feel the need to be educated about what it is that I’m proposing that we do because whether this happens in reality or not, I always feel that I’m going to be challenged. Everything that I put forth is going to be challenged, so I’m prepared to answer those questions and to explain matter of factly and use the data in a way that backs up what I am professionally recommending. I think that being a person of color causes me to apply more pressure.

Whether that pressure is coming from other people, mostly it’s coming from me because I feel the need to present in the best way possible and for the work to be excellent. I also think that being the person of color in the room, I’m hyper aware of the unconscious bias that presents itself through questions that may be asked of me through challenging of professional opinion. The people who are making those challenges aren’t necessarily aware that the challenge that they’re making would not be made if I looked differently. And so I’m always hyper aware of that and prepared to address it.

Andrea Kihlstedt:
Right. Yeah. As you talk about that, it makes me as a white woman, so aware of my own privilege, my own sort of unearned privilege, and just as you feel the need and appropriate need to always be over-prepared and to be ready for challenges, I realize how much I assume that people will believe what I say, that people will go along with what I say simply because of how I look and the background that they assume about me.

So you and I occupy two different seats, right. Yours I think is far more challenging because you have to be over-prepared. For me, I suspect that it kept me from functioning at my fullest capacity because I could take advantage of that slide.

Jacqueline House:
And I think that if people can be aware of the fact that they don’t have to think about that, then that is the beginning of realizing what that privilege looks like.

Andrea Kihlstedt:
Right, right. Yeah. I think it’s so important that we actually have this conversation and many others.

Conversations About Race and DEI

Do you have conversations about race in your organization or does it go unspoken?

Jacqueline House:
Yes, we have a conversation about diversity and inclusion, but diversity and inclusion for me are generalities and sometimes does not necessarily include race as a concrete topic that really needs to be discussed. And I think there are a couple of factors as to why it does or does not happen.

1. One, when the majority is not or does not have to think about race, sometimes it becomes something that’s further down on the list of the entire list of things that we have to do and address, all of which are important.
2. And I also think that for organizations who really want to address the issue in a concrete and real way, that produces change, it has to be led by someone who is paid within the organization to do that. Because then the attention and the focus and those nuances that need to be addressed will be brought to the forefront because it’s somebody’s job to do that–

Andrea Kihlstedt:
Someone’s job. Yeah, that’s so interesting. And in bigger companies it has become a standard of having someone whose job it is. In smaller companies, I think that’s not the case, and it does fall down on the list of what everyone has to do. So it’s interesting to think about that.

Jacqueline House:
And it’s such a meaningful and personal journey that has to be taken not only by the organization, but the people within the organization because organizations are made up of people and as people change, the organization will change.

And so having somebody to lead that, that are capable of having all the tools that they need in the toolbox and spending time to refine those tools because we’re working with people not widgets, is necessary.

On Doing a Guided Feasibility Study as a Diverse Woman

Andrea Kihlstedt:
Right. I’m aware, going back to your capital campaign, a related subject. I’m aware that you did a Guided Feasibility Study for your capital campaign and you were working with one of our advisors. And when you developed the report for that, it was your job to present that report to your board, which is largely made up of white people. I don’t know, white men. Is that true?

Jacqueline House:
Yeah.

Andrea Kihlstedt:
I don’t know. That’s my image and that it’s a pretty serious report and had to be presented with great authority and care and to do that as a black woman took some courage and strength and kind of will to present yourself. How do you remember, how do you recollect that moment?

Jacqueline House:
I think because being a black woman is who I am and the way I conduct myself is a part of who I am, that’s a given. So I didn’t think about that.

Andrea Kihlstedt:
Right. You didn’t think about it. Yeah.

Jacqueline House:
It just is a part of the fabric and knowing my board as I do and anticipating questions that would probably come up in their mind is also a part of the over preparation and answering the questions before they’re asked.

Andrea Kihlstedt:
Yeah, it’s so interesting that I think of that question. Of course, it’s a silly question because it’s just who you are and it’s in my apologies. I get it. Right?

Jacqueline House:
No, I think that it’s an important recognition and I think so many people don’t recognize that it is part of the fabric. But if you are a black woman and you’ve reached this level, it’s part of the fabric of who you are.

Andrea Kihlstedt:
Right. Of who you are and what you deal with, and you either can deal with it or you can’t deal with it. I think some people are incapacitated by it or rise to it, and you simply become more powerful, stronger, more effective, more sure that you do your homework and you do it very well.

Jacqueline House:
I think it’s also on the other side of the coin, important for people who are not people of color to recognize that this is not assertion. This is not a braggadocious kind of expression. This is not a, “I think I’m better than you,” expression. This is how we have had to adapt to survive in the world. So it’s less about bragging, but more about being the professional that I am with that interwoven into the fabric.

Andrea Kihlstedt:
Yes. I really appreciate that and I appreciate your saying it. I have thought a lot about these issues over many years, both with regard to my personal life and my professional life. And somehow hearing you say it and talk about it so clearly helps me also, reminds me of both how complicated it is for us to be fully aware of the issues in the room and what it’s like for you on one side and what it’s like for white people who are not aware of the pressure, the pressure you put on yourself to function at such a high level. So thank you for being willing to have this conversation with me. I appreciate it.

Jacqueline House:
You’re welcome. One thing that cannot be said about me is that I don’t speak up.

Andrea Kihlstedt:
Right. Yes, yes. That’s fantastic.

Working on a Multimillion-Dollar Capital Campaign

Let’s talk a little about your capital campaign. So your organization has a goal now $7.5 million. How are you doing toward that goal? Where are you and what’s that whole learning process been for you?

Jacqueline House:
That’s our working goal. By the time we finish this campaign, we may be beyond that as our goal. We will probably be beyond that as our goal. Very interesting scenario. When I arrived here three years ago, there was rumored, we were rumored to be in a capital campaign. And so it was very interesting to back up and do all the work that was required to actually be able to make the decision to move forward with a capital campaign.

It was a big number for this organization, first capital campaign that they’ve been involved in. I have been involved in 100 million capital campaigns, but I’ve not been the leader of the campaign. So it was a very interesting position for me to lead the campaign, a challenge that I am really excited about because I gravitate to hard things. So it was right in my wheelhouse.

We started this campaign the end of last year, so we’re about 10, 11 months in the campaign. We’re about 30% towards our goal. We have another 30% we are fingers crossed, expected to close by the end of the fiscal year. And we’re looking forward to going public first or second quarter of next year. So as capital campaigns go and based on your study at Capital Campaign Pro, we’re doing okay.

Andrea Kihlstedt:
Great. That’s fantastic!

Why Jacqueline Chose to Work with Capital Campaign Pro

You had, I’m sure had many choices when you decided to work with a consultant or with our non-traditional capital campaign pro model, you chose to work with us. Why did you choose that and how is it working for you?

Jacqueline House:
Well, it’s working great. Let’s just say that upfront. I chose this model because of the stage that the organization was in. The organization has been around since 1945, but this transition was brand new, essentially becoming a brand new organization. And so we had to work on reestablishing ourselves in the community, establishing this new brand within the community, reconnecting to donors, finding new donors.

And so with all of that work, even reestablishing the annual campaign, traditional knowledges, you really need to have annual donors before you embark on a capital campaign so you have something to draw from. All of that was happening at the same time, and I felt to have a traditional capital campaign consultant would have not been to our advantage. We wouldn’t have been interacting with donors directly and getting to know them and reintroducing ourselves. We would’ve handed that off to somebody else.

We also have a very lean development department, and I know working with a consultant, they may be out front, but that’s going to produce more work for the development department, getting them all the things that they need. So I felt it would be better for us to have our hands directly in the campaign because we needed to get to know our donors and reestablish ourselves, and I knew that our data needed work and all of the things that set the groundwork for a capital campaign, all of that was a work in progress. And so going through it this way with a one-on-one relationship with a consultant gave me the ability to be able to talk about those specific things and how to move forward on those items.

Andrea Kihlstedt:
Right. Yeah. I know your advisor has been just delighted to work with you and has been, so she tells me sometimes what a pleasure it is to work with you through this campaign. So I know it’s working from her perspective as well, and that’s–

Jacqueline House:
The feeling is mutual.

Andrea Kihlstedt:
Yeah, that’s so fun and nice to hear.

Jacqueline’s Advice for Conducting a Capital Campaign

So Jacqueline, if someone were coming and considering taking a job running a capital campaign in an organization like yours, what advice would you give them?

Jacqueline House:
I think a couple of things.

I think someone who’s taking on a position like this needs a wide and deep background in development to have had a couple of different experiences at different organizations so that there’s a pool of experience to pull from about different ways that things can be done. I think someone in a position like this needs to have an entrepreneurial spirit, needs to have the ability to survey the data to make a decision and to implement. I also think that there has to be a certain amount of flexibility, a certain amount of agility. When the campaign plan and everything for me is a campaign plan from communication to marketing to annual to capital. They need to have the ability to pivot when things don’t go the way that you think they might.

And pivoting is a positive thing because it can catapult you into something even greater than what you originally thought you could do. Multitasking is always great, but multitasking with a focus, there are lots of different plates that are spinning right now in the air, but having the ability to focus on that one thing and to get it to completion and going then to the next thing is also important. I think CFRE is a great tool to have in the toolbox because that then gives you another pool of experience to pull from.

Andrea Kihlstedt:
Right. You had been involved in a large campaign before, but the CFRE also has a capital campaign portion to it, I think. So there is some learning for people in that to prepare them for capital campaigns.

Jacqueline House:
Mm-hmm. I think there’s a plus if you’ve had any prospect research background, that’s also a definite plus.

Andrea Kihlstedt:
Right. Yeah. So what I hear behind your answer is that you shouldn’t dive into a role like yours as a newbie, right? Not knowing. You need a lot of background, a lot of experience to be able to dive in and really take the reins and make this work. Right?

Jacqueline House:
That’s exactly what you hear me saying. And that’s also because at this level, I’m the leader for my organization, so my CEO is looking to me for leadership, and I would not be able to lead her without that depth of background and knowledge.

Andrea Kihlstedt:
Yeah. Jacqueline, the point you raise about pivoting, I think is one of the remarkable things about capital campaign fundraising, and people either are good at it or they’re not, which is the ability to set forward a clear plan and understand and be willing to change it as it needs to change. And for some people, that’s incredibly difficult.

Some people are very good at setting forth plans, but they’re not good at then putting the plan aside or changing the plan. Some people are not very good at planning. They prefer just to coast or just to go day to day. And to be really good at this capital campaign business, you need to be able to do both. You have to be able to plan like mad and have the fluidity to be able to change as opportunities and challenges come your way. And it sounds as though, and I know about you actually, that you’re really good at mastering both of those things.

Jacqueline House:
I think what contributes to that is that I’m goal-oriented and the goal is the goal. We’re going to get to the goal — come heck or high water, we’re getting to the goal. And so if we need to pivot in order to get to the goal, that’s my focus.

Andrea Kihlstedt:
Yeah, I love that. I love that there is, there’s such power in somebody who says:

“This is where I’m going, and you may not believe me, but guess what? This is where we’re going to be.”

And just by that commitment, other people start lining up and moving in that direction. It’s so fascinating.

Jacqueline House:
That’s exactly right. That’s exactly right. And as a matter of fact, I’ve seen it happen with my CEO who will say:

“Do you think we’re going to be able to — absolutely we’re going to be able to get to this goal.”

We may not see it yet, but what we speak is important, and as we continue to talk about it becomes real.

Andrea Kihlstedt:
Yes. Yeah, that’s exactly right. Jacqueline, what a pleasure to have this opportunity to talk to you. You really are a woman of strength and courage, which is what I said about you in the very beginning. I know that to be true, and as I hear you talk about your position in this organization and your role in the capital campaign, it’s just abundantly clear. So I look forward to working with you and other circumstance.

You know, I didn’t say in the beginning, and I should say that you’ve been a wonderful help to Capital Campaign Pro on our DEI, diversity equity inclusion committee, which we have and meets with some frequency. We’re now getting some great traction in that, and you’ve been a big help and a big force in that process. So thank you so much for the help you’ve been to us as an organization. I look forward to seeing you over the years Jacqueline.

For those of you who are listening, thanks for being with us, and Amy will be back next week. We will see you again in our next podcast episode.