When It’s Time to Go: Evaluating a Potential Job Transition in Fundraising

In this episode of Rising Voices of Fundraising: The AFP Emerging Leaders Podcast, we discuss the difficult questions we ask ourselves when we’re contemplating leaving a job: Can I get a bump in salary at my current organization? What am I really looking for out of a job change? Do I have the right skills to apply to a new position? How do I balance pursuing my passion with setting appropriate work/life boundaries? Derek Mulhern, CEO & executive leadership coach at Derek Mulhern Coaching & Consulting, shares how to evaluate the pros and cons and make the career move that’s right for you.

Guests: 

Derek Mulhern, PCC, ACCC  – Executive Life & Leadership Coach
The son of a dairy farmer in Fountain, Minnesota, Derek was raised in a family that valued perseverance. From a young age, he understood the importance of ambitiously creating his future.

Derek started his training and coaching career working with college students. He championed them to unlock their potential by creating powerful connections and fearlessly speaking truth.

When he moved to Washington, DC, he brought these leadership skills and coaching goals to the nonprofit sector. Derek knows how to manage and transform individual contributors to be part of productive, high-functioning teams. During his time in the nonprofit sector, Derek observed various leadership styles to build an approach that acknowledges how decision-making impacts the team. He has seen first-hand how effective leaders build teams who generate creativity, impart their passions, and strengthen their organizations.

Drawing on his rich experience in the nonprofit sector, Derek’s career in coaching aims to help leaders and executives create unstoppable organizations that shape the future of work, rather than simply reacting to it. Derek believes in the power of transforming relationships by transforming yourself – and he wants to help you see that power, too.

 

Hosts: 

Emily Leitzinger, CFRE, CNP, Director of National Leadership Giving, Cure SMA: Emily Leitzinger is a fundraising executive with over 15 years of experience driving organizational growth and sustainability through innovative fundraising strategies and donor engagement. She currently serves as the Director of National Leadership Giving at Cure SMA and is particularly proud of launching the first-ever Legacy Society for the organization. Emily is dedicated to advancing equity and inclusion in philanthropy, as noted in her Master's capstone. In this project, she examines the effects of donor influence on nonprofit operations and proposes frameworks for more balanced and ethical donor engagement. A chartering member and past president of the Mid-City, New Orleans Rotary Club, Emily is affectionately known as the Deputy Governor of "Yes" and is set to become the District Governor of District 6840. In addition to her professional achievements, she enjoys traveling, long-distance running, and craft beer, and is a huge fan of The Office.  She lives in New Orleans with her Elvis-impersonating husband, Mike. 

 

Dr. Allison Quintanilla Plattsmier, CFRE, ACNP, GPC, CAP, Founder & CEO, AQP Consulting & Executive Director, ENP: Dr. Allison Quintanilla Plattsmier has fourteen years of experience in the nonprofit sector and has collectively raised approximately $5 million for over 75 organizations. She serves as Executive Director of ENP and runs her own nonprofit consulting firm, AQP Consulting, where she helps grassroots nonprofits with fundraising strategy, strategic planning, board development, and grant writing. 

Allison is a vocal advocate for gender parity, closing the wage gap, and ending the motherhood penalty. With accolades such as AFP’s Outstanding Young Fundraising Professional, NBJ’s 40 Under 40, NBJ’s Women of Influence, a National Latino Leader, and the Women Who Rock Nashville Social Justice Award, Dr. Quintanilla Plattsmier strives to serve and better her community every day. A dedicated AFP member for the last seven years, Allison currently chairs the Women's Impact Initiative (WII) Mentorship Program and serves on the LEAD Education Advisory Committee. When she is not out serving her community, she is spending time with her three kids, Quintan, Karina, and Kamren.