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Meet Our Team
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Meet the Team
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Jim Shapiro
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Co-Founder
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Seattle, WA
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Jim Shapiro is the fundraising coach you’ve always wanted, the proven Sherpa who can help you get to the top of the mountain. Jim has 25+ years’ experience raising money, including serving as the VP of Development for a global $100m nonprofit. He co-founded The Better Fundraising Co. to help small-to-medium nonprofits raise more money. Outside his fundraising work, he serves his community as a high school football coach and finds great joy playing with his two grandkids. Jim is married, has three kids, two grandkids and a Maltese Shih Tzu named Dwyane.
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Steven Screen
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Co-Founder
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Seattle, WA
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Steven Screen is an experienced Fundraiser who gets energized helping organizations understand how they can raise more money. He’s a second-generation fundraiser, a past winner of the Direct Mail Package of the Year, and data-driven. His superpower is summarizing things. Steven is married and has three kids.
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Steven Screen
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Co-Founder
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Bainbridge Island, WA
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Steven Screen is an experienced Fundraiser who gets energized helping organizations understand how they can raise more money. He’s a second-generation fundraiser, a past winner of the Direct Mail Package of the Year, and data-driven. His superpower is summarizing things. Steven is married and has three kids.
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Jonathan Steck
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Creative Director
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Seattle, WA
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An Aussie living in Seattle, Jonathan Steck proudly represents the Commonwealth by spreading vegemite on his toast, using the metric system, and having Siri respond with an Australian accent. But as Better Fundraising's Creative Director, Jonathan is much smarter. He brings more than 15 years of fundraising knowledge to the team and looks forward to helping your mission grow!
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Gretchen Miller
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Director of Operations
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Bentonville, AR
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Many people view chaos as something they run from, or something they actually help create; Gretchen views it like a beautiful, wild mustang with incredible potential to accomplish great things if harnessed and focused in the right direction. She loves to organize projects, clear hurdles and wrangle calendars just about as much as she enjoys coffee on the beach. However, when faced with the tension and uncertainty of her daughter and son’s many basketball games and her husband, Daniel’s annoying ability to remain calm, you will find her in the corner of the gym practicing self-awareness and all the latest and greatest techniques for managing stress.
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Gretchen Miller
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Director of Operations
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Bentonville, AR
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Many people view chaos as something they run from, or something they actually help create; Gretchen views it like a beautiful, wild mustang with incredible potential to accomplish great things if harnessed and focused in the right direction. She loves to organize projects, clear hurdles and wrangle calendars just about as much as she enjoys coffee on the beach. However, when faced with the tension and uncertainty of her daughter and son’s many basketball games and her husband, Daniel’s annoying ability to remain calm, you will find her in the corner of the gym practicing self-awareness and all the latest and greatest techniques for managing stress.
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Melissa Kruse
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Fundraising Advisor
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Eugene, OR
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Born and raised in Hawaii, Melissa is a true islander who loves the warmth, the beach, and the ono grindz (delicious food). She currently resides in the Northwest with her husband, two kids, and five ducks (a spontaneous “gift” from her husband). Melissa enjoys cooking, playing guitar, traveling, and DIY projects. In her free time, Melissa is an avid gardener and often works in the garden with her family.
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Marlize Adair
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Fundraising Advisor
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Tampa, FL
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Marlize Adair is a native of South Africa and currently lives in Tampa, FL with her family. The picture is of them exploring the Tampa Bay area, visiting St. Petersburg Pier. Prior to joining The Better Fundraising Co team, she worked at a nonprofit in the Tampa Bay area as the Director of Development and Marketing. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood and Family Studies and a Master's degree in Business Administration. When asked about her passion, Marlize said: "I am truly passionate about fundraising and working with nonprofits to develop a strategy that will help them make a bigger impact. It is my goal to help organizations feel confident in their fundraising efforts.”
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Marlize Adair
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Fundraising Advisor
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Tampa, FL
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Marlize Adair is a native of South Africa and currently lives in Tampa, FL with her family. The picture is of them exploring the Tampa Bay area, visiting St. Petersburg Pier. Prior to joining The Better Fundraising Co team, she worked at a nonprofit in the Tampa Bay area as the Director of Development and Marketing. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood and Family Studies and a Master's degree in Business Administration. When asked about her passion, Marlize said: "I am truly passionate about fundraising and working with nonprofits to develop a strategy that will help them make a bigger impact. It is my goal to help organizations feel confident in their fundraising efforts.”
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Pictured: Ariel in Petra, Jordan
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Ariel Rigney
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Fundraising Advisor
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Portland, OR
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Ariel Rigney, MPA (she/hers), is a former Southern Californian who has happily settled in the lush, wild, and beautiful Pacific Northwest with her cat Meeko. Outside of work, she’s a patient advocate for fellow amputees like herself. Her wanderlust is strong, and she finds any excuse she can to travel (especially internationally!). Otherwise, you can find her line dancing, camping out at immersive pirate festivals, and on outdoor adventures like kayaking, archery, scuba, hiking, and camping! Ariel considers herself a nonprofit nerd and can't wait to use her 10+ years of nonprofit fundraising experience and her superpowers of details and processes to help organizations do amazing things!
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Mario Galeano
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Fundraising Advisor
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Houston, TX
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As a college freshman, Mario took a job at a local nonprofit and it became clear what his calling was – to help people. Using his experience in design and marketing, he jumped into the fundraising world and has never looked back. Mario is passionate about data-driven fundraising that succeeds and is inspired by organizations that are doing amazing work. When he is not in fundraising mode, you can find him parachuting into Verdansk or simply enjoying life with his wife and three young kids.
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Mario Galeano
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Fundraising Advisor
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Houston, TX
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As a college freshman, Mario took a job at a local nonprofit and it became clear what his calling was – to help people. Using his experience in design and marketing, he jumped into the fundraising world and has never looked back. Mario is passionate about data-driven fundraising that succeeds and is inspired by organizations that are doing amazing work. When he is not in fundraising mode, you can find him parachuting into Verdansk or simply enjoying life with his wife and three young kids.
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Sarah Lundberg
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Fundraising Advisor
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Grand Rapids, MI
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Sarah is a lifelong Midwesterner living in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She has been part of the nonprofit world for over 18 years, most recently as Director of Marketing and Communications at an international ministry. She recently earned her Fundraising Management Certificate from North Park University in Chicago. Sarah loves helping organizations see what’s possible when they put proven fundraising practices into place. In her spare time, you can find Sarah searching for unique finds in antique stores, wrangling the cello she’s determined to learn how to play, or trying to keep up with her 100-year-old home.