In this session on Impact Investing, we’ll be looking at what really drives philanthropists to invest in social enterprise and high impact causes and and how nonprofits can build their own portfolio of Social Impact Investors. We will be able to debut a new philanthropy report at the session which will feature a survey of 100 Impact Investors and case studies in successful investments and a massive failure or two – all in the pursuit of learning how any nonprofit can get it right the first time out of the gate.
With expert advice from a philanthropic advising firm and a nonprofit that is winning in the social impact investing space, there will be hands-on, practical, and inspiring takeaways for attendees to immediately implement back at the office. We’ll look at what these investors look for in an investment opportunity, how investors view their ‘financial return’ when funding nonprofits, and the various forms, pseudonyms, benefits and hazards of impact investing.
Speaker
Kerry Watterson
Head, Global Philanthropy, Fundraising Well
Kerry Watterson holds the distinction of being a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), and currently serves as Head, Global Philanthropy for Fundraising Well. He also teaches Fundraising Models and Resource Development with University of California-Irvine, and serves on the Board of Directors and as the Chair of Government Relations & Ethics for the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) NYC, and on the Board of Directors for the AFP USA Political Action Committee, leading lobbying and advocacy efforts for the fundraising profession and field of philanthropy in New York and throughout the United States.
In his 21-year career as a fundraiser, Kerry has raised more than $200 Million for nonprofits, political campaigns, and commercial ventures. He has helped organizations build fundraising programs from the ground up, fine-tune 50-year-old operations, and increase revenue by doubling their number of six- and seven-figure donors, establishing successful partnership programs with Fortune 500 companies, writing and winning over 100 transformative grants, and managing organizations through executive leadership transitions. With all these efforts, Kerry broke and set new fundraising records at each of his in-house posts at Year Up, Kaplan Educational Foundation, New York Civil Liberties Union, York Theatre Company, and University of Texas at Arlington.
At Fundraising Well, Kerry connects savvy philanthropists with high-performing nonprofits and develops specific and sophisticated strategies to maximize their collective impact for good. In addition to his career in fundraising and philanthropy, Kerry has been a classroom educator and built training programs and education sites around the world. He has also produced, directed, and cast musicals and plays on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and around the country.
Kerry received his B.A. from Texas Wesleyan University and earned two master’s degrees: M.F.A. in Directing from the University of Arizona, and M.S. in Financial Planning and Analysis. He lives in Jersey City, NJ and is active in his local community.