Greetings All,
My name is Jon Evans and I am your new Director of Development. My first day was April 18th, 2016 (two days after the birth of my son Lucas) and I am excited to be part of this amazing organization. I came from the local Salvation Army where I held the same position for almost two years. Raised in Kentucky, stationed in North Carolina for five years (US Army paratrooper), and then bouncing around working in YMCA Camping has given me valuable tools for building relationships.
For those of you who do not know exactly what development does for FCC here is the short version. We raise friends and funds for Family & Children’s Center. Several programs collaborate with development to raise money through the year for operations. These funds come in the form of direct gifts, pledges, and grants. Raising friends is another specialty of ours by generating interest and awareness in all programs related to FCC. These friends may learn about us through direct contact, events, public relations, or word of mouth. Citizens of our many communities may hear our story through a variety of platforms and this is how we generate interest. Our office is located in La Crosse’s GVC building on the east side of the fourth floor (we can see the bluffs too).
Currently we are collecting the spring mail appeal remits and sending thank you’s to every donor. Yes, every donor gets a personally signed thank you from Tita regardless of the gift. We are also beginning to plan several events such as Monte Carlo Night, the Lego events in Winona and La Crosse, and Paint the Town Purple in Viroqua. Multiple grants have recently been submitted with several more going out in the near future.
How can you help? Easy, have a 30 second elevator speech prepared at all times. We represent FCC on and off the clock so be prepared to speak with anyone at any time. Also, bring us information such as success stories, funding opportunities, or events where we could spread awareness about FCC. While we raise money for several specific programs, we keep our whole organization in the media. Building relationships is what we do so make introductions when you can. Thanks and if you ever have questions give us a call or visit the fourth floor!