SUMMARY

Taylor and Kelly sit down with Kristen Hannon, advancement director at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Minnesota, to talk about a career change most people don’t see coming: 21 years in banking, followed by a full pivot into nonprofit leadership. Kristen walks through how a life coach’s simple question, “what do you want to do,” sent her down a six month decision process that ended with her running fundraising, recruitment, and community partnerships for one of the region’s most recognized youth mentoring organizations.

The conversation breaks down what an advancement director actually does day to day: managing a database associate and grant writer, running board and committee meetings, chasing sponsorships, and reframing fundraising as what it really is, sales. Kristen is candid about the parts of the job most people never think about, like the fact that BBBS never asks a Big to spend a dime, or that the organization currently has more than 140 kids fully approved and waiting for a match.

Listeners get a full rundown of the different ways to volunteer: community-based matches, the Bigs on Campus program at three local colleges, site-based matches inside schools, and “site-based plus,” which lets Bigs and Littles connect at outside events too. Kristen also busts the most common myths keeping people from signing up, spending money, lack of qualifications, and being “too old,” and shares the statistic that stops the room every time: mentored kids close the socioeconomic gap by two-thirds.

The episode closes on a personal note, with Kristen sharing what it meant to lose her father just two months into her new job and how differently that moment was handled at a nonprofit versus a traditional corporate employer. She also previews two upcoming events, a golf tournament on August 31st and a brand new concert fundraiser, Sweet Sounds for a Big Cause, replacing the organization’s former gala.