MY STORY - TANJA SARETT, CFRE

I launched my consultant career in 2017, inspired by my varied work with many organizations in the United States, Germany, and Israel:

Consultant

As a nonprofit and fundraising consultant and expert in cross-border giving and philanthropy, I activate team-centered innovation and creative and synergistic solutions for visionary companies, organizations, and philanthropies. 

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My expertise includes building fundraising capacity, increasing financial and programmatic viability, expanding visibility, and managing growth. My fundraising experience focuses on major gifts, institutional giving, in-depth prospect research, wealth screenings, moves management, capital campaigns, fundraising events, and donor cultivation and stewardship.

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Two key lessons that I learned first-hand are 1) “fundraising is an investment” and that 2) fundraising and change go hand-in-hand. Raising much-needed funds to fulfill your organization’s mission does not happen in a vacuum and is not an emergency solution, but rather requires a creative approach and thoughtful commitment by your organization and your stakeholders. In addition, the commitment to creating and implementing fundraising solutions requires aligning your organization’s complete environment and creating a process of change.  

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Facilitator and Trainer

As an onsite and virtual facilitator, trainer, and executive coach, I help clients visualize complexity and bring their concepts, projects, and products to life. I specialize in optimizing outcomes in the virtual space and the 21st century distributed workplace. I bring to my work a wide range of collaborative and creative techniques and tools from IDEO Design Thinking, Liberating Structures, the Technology of Participation, and the Agile community. 

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I lead and design virtual training sessions for fundraising professionals and organizational leaders from all over the world in how to engage donors in the virtual space. She has presented on how to identify funding opportunities and major gifts prospects in the United States at venues including the NJ Nonprofit Conference, the German Fundraising Conference, and the Association of Fundraising Professionals events. 

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Foundation Professional

Prior to beginning consulting, I served as a Program Officer at the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, a major international Jewish foundation. I helped maximize Harold Grinspoon’s multi-million-dollar investment and spearheaded growth, fundraising and communication strategies to strengthen the foundation and its flagship program PJ Library. In particular, I reshaped the structure of the NYC program and built the programmatic and fundraising capacity of programs in New Jersey. My years at the Harold Grinspoon Foundation gave me perspective about the role of a major funder, change agent and grantmaker, and the unique partnership between an institutional funder and nonprofit organizations. From conversations with major funding partners, I gleaned important insights about the grantmaking field, how to position programs and funding proposals, and how to create synergies. 

Executive and Fundraiser
I had the privilege of serving as Executive Director of a regional Holocaust Museum in New York State where I revitalized the museum's fundraising, marketing, finance, and program operations. Being responsible for leading an organization and fundraising projects is both a rewarding and demanding experience. It shaped my desire to break down silos and invest in building organizational synergies and strong teams.  As a fundraiser for JASA, a social service agency for the elderly, and The Abraham Fund Initiative, I built fundraising infrastructure and brought in funds through special events, improved fundraising systems, engaged different stakeholders and introduced advanced prospect research for prospect identification and major gifts solicitations. 

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Program Specialist

My career started at the German Museum in Munich, the Munich Youth Council and the International Munich Trade Fair Association and quickly progressed to my holding leadership and program positions with the DGB Youth in Munich/Germany, and The International Youth Meeting at Dachau/Germany. I also worked with many Israeli-based organizations, including The International March of the Living.

EDUCATION & CERTIFICATIONS

• Bavarian Academy of Advertising and Marketing, Munich, Germany. Diploma in Public Relations

• Ludwig Maximilians-University (LMU), Munich, Germany. BA/MA in Political Science

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• Institute for International Facilitation, Certified Virtual Facilitator

• Center for Executive Coaching, Certified Executive Coach 

• 21/64, New York, NY. Certified 21/64 Multigenerational Giving Advisor

• Association of Fundraising Professionals HQ, Arlington, VA. Faculty Training Academy (AFP Master Trainer)

• IDEO U, Certificate in Advanced Design Thinking

• IDEO U, Certificate in Foundations in Creative Leadership

• Institute for Cultural Affairs (ICA) Associates, Toronto, Canada. Certificate in ToP Facilitation Essentials

• IDEO U, Certificate in Foundations in Design Thinking

• Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. Certificate in Change Management

• CFRE International, Certified Fund-Raising Executive (CFRE) Credential, 2017

• Support Center for Nonprofit Management, New York, NY. Certificate in Management and Supervision

• New York University, New York, NY. Professional Certificate in Philanthropy and Fundraising

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