About Rasie-Funds

Raise-Funds.com is a free knowledge base and virtual community center for the volunteer leadership and professional staff of nonprofit organizations. Its content is created and curated by individuals experienced in fundraising, marketing, communications, management, and governance. It exists to support the philanthropic impulse that continues to improve the quality of life and broaden the scope of human understanding. It encourages discussion and the exchange of ideas by all who believe in the worth and necessity of nonprofit organizations. Raise-Funds.com is about, by, and for nonprofit organizations. Raise-Funds is supported by Zuri Group

Contributors

Tony Poderis

 

Tony was the founder of Raise-Funds.com. Though Tony died on October 17, 2017 he continues to be an inspiration to all who believe in the great value of nonprofit organizations to their communities.

For 20 years Tony was director of development for The Cleveland Orchestra and its summer home, Blossom Music Center. As such he was responsible for Cleveland’s largest annual institutional fund-raising campaign. In 1993, Tony became a fund-raising consultant serving the needs of all non-profit institutions to develop and to maximize their potential to raise annual, endowment, capital, sponsorship, and underwriting funds.

Tony’s experiences won him a wide audience at hundreds of workshops in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Mexico. He has addressed every facet of raising contributed income for social service, medical, educational, religious, and cultural institutions, and was a speaker/specialist consultant to the United States Information Agency and the Mexican Government.

He was the author of the widely used and praised book It’s a Great Day to Fund Raise, a step-by-step guide to help volunteers and professionals be as successful as possible as they carry out their fund-raising responsibilities.

Joyce Braun Poderis

Joyce began her career in development in 1981 as associate director of development for the Cleveland Orchestra and its Summer home, Blossom Music Center, following 17 years of teaching biochemistry at Cleveland Heights High School.

She left the Orchestra and Blossom in 1991 to join the development staff of Case Western Reserve University as director of development of the colleges and graduate school—both her alma mater. In 1993 she returned to the performing arts as director of development of the Cleveland Play House, serving in that capacity for ten years until her retirement.

Joyce has successfully directed contributed income campaigns and programs, including annual fund, capital and endowment, sponsorships/underwriting, and benefit events.

David Patterson

Dave manages Raise-Funds.com. Throughout his career He has bounded back and forth between nonprofit organizations and entrepreneurial ventures. In recent years he has developed a specialization in using digital media such as websites, email, and social media to further the mission and goals of nonprofit organizations. In the nonprofit world Dave has been:

His for-profit ventures have included founding and running:

    • Magazine publishing companies
    • B2B websites
    • Consumer websites
    • Marketing firms

An experienced editor, writer, reporter, designer, and photographer, Dave has won numerous awards.

Marcus Haile

Marcus has been involved in the non-profit sector for over 25 years. His experience has included resource development, program management and outcome evaluation with local, state, and national organizations dedicated to everything from the arts to social services. His fundraising focus has been in annual campaigns, development operations, board interaction and support, proposal writing and donor relations.

Marcus currently provides consulting services in nonprofit management and resource development and serves as a community coach with the Nonprofit Center of Northeast Florida as he pursues his next career goal of becoming executive director of a nonprofit organization.