Member since May 2023
Theresa Haenn is a successful fundraiser, closing more than $40,000,000 in gifts over 25 years following 14 years as a profitable small business owner raising annual revenue from $345,000 to $925,000. Theresa possesses deep experience in donor-centered philanthropy, board strategy and development, major gift fundraising and team leadership. She has 25+ years in executive positions leading a staff of up to 25 people as a small business owner and nonprofit leader. This stage of my career is dedicated to major gift fundraising, board and volunteer development and strengths-based team coaching – all with the goal to make a difference through philanthropy.
I am passionate about helping people, and especially women in nonprofit leadership, to have full confidence in themselves. So why is this important? There is a big shift in nonprofit leadership happening now, and leading a nonprofit organization is unlike leading a corporation or business. The nonprofit depends on community volunteers and stakeholders, and the successful leaders understand the nuances of philanthropy and how this is different from fundraising or grants. I stand ready to help them navigate these sometimes turbulent and potentially treacherous waters.
I am the first born daughter of an entrepreneur and educator. I started my education planning to be a teacher, like my mother. Then, my father-in-law became sick with cancer, and my husband and i bought out his business when I was just 30 years old and we moved from Connecticut to the Philadelphia suburbs and I assumed leadership of the business and my husband commuted into New York for his work.
All of a sudden, I had the responsibility to manage several hundred clients and a staff of about 25. I made so many mistakes during the first two years - and thankfully, I only made each mistake once. Then in year five, my husband left his position in New York, and we began working side by side for the next ten years. That is a story in itself! We ultimately sold the business in 2001 and I began my nonprofit fundraising career.
The most amazing part of being part of a nonprofit is the opportunity to do something incredible by raising lots of money to provide urgently needed funds for critical programs and research. I am proud of what I accomplished. Raising money for research is so dependent on the research results, which weren't always what we wanted. I held to a quote by Albert Einstein "I never failed. I just found 10,000 ways that things didn't work." My most impactful moments were when I connected researchers with the people who their research would ultimately benefit. Incredibly powerful!
Now, I am following in my father's footsteps as an entrepreneur. I want to share the experience of my 25+ (and counting) years in nonprofit leadership with others in the field. I want to help them feel confident in asking for the big gifts and connecting the dots between the ways that their work will help people in the community through philanthropy, which at its core means "love of humanity."
I am the first born daughter of an entrepreneur and educator. I started my education planning to be a teacher, like my mother. Then, my father-in-law became sick with cancer, and my husband and i bought out his business when I was just 30 years old and we moved from Connecticut to the Philadelphia suburbs and I assumed leadership of the business and my husband commuted into New York for his work.
All of a sudden, I had the responsibility to manage several hundred clients and a staff of about 25. I made so many mistakes during the first two years - and thankfully, I only made each mistake once. Then in year five, my husband left his position in New York, and we began working side by side for the next ten years. That is a story in itself! We ultimately sold the business in 2001 and I began my nonprofit fundraising career.
The most amazing part of being part of a nonprofit is the opportunity to do something incredible by raising lots of money to provide urgently needed funds for critical programs and research. I am proud of what I accomplished. Raising money for research is so dependent on the research results, which weren't always what we wanted. I held to a quote by Albert Einstein "I never failed. I just found 10,000 ways that things didn't work." My most impactful moments were when I connected researchers with the people who their research would ultimately benefit. Incredibly powerful!
Now, I am following in my father's footsteps as an entrepreneur. I want to share the experience of my 25+ (and counting) years in nonprofit leadership with others in the field. I want to help them feel confident in asking for the big gifts and connecting the dots between the ways that their work will help people in the community through philanthropy, which at its core means "love of humanity."