This event has passed. For the first time, Community-Centric Fundraising has been invited to speak at AFP Icon in Toronto. This is a big moment for the movement!
Several members of the CCF Global Council hold AFP roles. Let’s talk about what that means in the social change movement ecosystem. What does it mean to be a disrupter in an institution? How do we make sure that we are curious about how people are being helped by institutions — regardless of if we’re a burn it all down advocate, a reformer, or an incremental changer?
Come hear about how Esther Lee, Rachel D’Souza, and Sommer Dawson of the CCF Global Council are using their roles in AFP and pushing forward new visions of the future.
We’ll be on Instagram Live on February 21st at 6 pm Pacific, 7 pm Mountain, 8 pm Central, and 9 pm Eastern. (Not in these time zones? Use the World Time Buddy World Clock to find out what time this means for you).
Our Speakers
Esther Saehyun Lee
Esther (she/her) is a fundraiser, storyteller, and advocate. She is dedicated to advancing the mission of equity in the nonprofit sector. She is a lifelong learner with a proven track record of leadership and revenue development and unwavering values of authenticity and growth.
She is committed to community-centric principles and is a member of the Community-Centric Fundraising (CCF) Global Council. Esther is also a member of the interim board of Toronto’s AFP Chapter.
She joined this sector to create space for people of colour and mobilize resources to communities. She’s committed to doing so in a way that honours everyone’s autonomy and power.
Rachel D'Souza
Rachel D’Souza (she/her) is the founder of Gladiator Consulting in St. Louis, MO, a boutique firm co-creating with nonprofits across the country. As a proud member of the Community-Centric Fundraising Global Council, Rachel works to guide and resource a global initiative to reimagine the nonprofit sector through a lens of radical collaboration, racial equity, social justice, and decolonization. In 2024, Rachel became the first person of color to serve as Board President of the Association of Fundraising Professionals Greater St. Louis in its forty-nine year history.
In addition to the Community-Centric Fundraising Resource Hub, her thought leadership has appeared in Blackbaud Institute’s 2021 npExperts publication The Great Reset, NeonOne’s 2022 report, Donors: Understanding The Future of Individual Giving, and on the Season 4 premiere of the Ethical Rainmaker podcast. She builds understanding and practice of the potential for transformation in our sector through webinars and panel conversations in partnership with sector leaders such as the Independent Sector, Stanford Social Innovation Review, and the Collective Impact Forum.
Rachel is the proud mama to her two children, Cameron and Emelia. Rachel enjoys cooking with her kids, Peloton workouts, and Instagram. Currently, she is pursuing her second Master’s Degree at the Washington University School of Law and, upon completing her studies in summer 2024, hopes to build more transformative connections between the nonprofit and public sectors.
Sommer K. Dawson (Brock)
Sommer K. Dawson (Brock, she/her) is a dedicated servant leader with a passion for improving outcomes for disadvantaged groups. She has worked to fulfill this desire by serving in various fundraising capacities at several nonprofit organizations in southeast Michigan, including the Frankel Jewish Academy, Society of St. Vincent de Paul – Detroit and Cranbrook Educational Community and by providing consulting services. Currently, Sommer serves as Executive Director at Accent Pontiac.
Mrs. Dawson has just completed a term as Immediate-Past–President of the Greater Detroit Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals where she has served in various roles including chair of the National Philanthropy Day committee and vice-chair of the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) committee. In addition, Sommer is a member of the Community-centric Fundraising (CCF) Global Council, former Vice-President of the Board of Trustees and chair of the Governance Committee for Accent Pontiac and a past board member for Identify Your Dream Foundation, Pontiac Community Foundation, and The Art Experience. A Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), Sommer holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor and a certificate in Nonprofit Management from Oakland University.
Sommer is the founder of No Nonsense Fundraising, LLC which helps to expand the reach and impact of small nonprofits, she is a graduate of Leadership Oakland XXVII (27) and a member of Oakland County Elite 40 under 40 class of 2018. She enjoys spending time with her children, Jacoya, age 22 and Trent Jr., age 10; and traveling with her husband, Trent, Sr.
Sommer has presented fundraising workshops for countless nonprofit organizations and for groups as large as 50. Satisfied workshop clients include Co.act Detroit, Pontiac Funders Collaborative, Micah 6 Community, and Leadership Oakland. Additionally, Sommer has presented for The Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Global Conference, AFP ICON in 2021 and 2022.
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