Get to Know Us: Q&A with Sarah Olivo
We have a small but mighty team here at Seattle Parks Foundation, with dedicated and knowledgeable staff ready to help our fiscal partners achieve their goals.
Our Annual Giving Manager, Sarah Olivo (she/her) has worked in the nonprofit sector for over a decade. She has a master’s degree in museology from the University of Washington with a focus on multi-cultural learning and authentic storytelling. Sarah’s experience includes facilitating accessible learning programs and organizing creative collaboration, with a focus on social and environmental justice.
Thank you, Sarah, for sharing more about yourself with us!
First, thank you for agreeing to answer our questions during one of the busiest times of your year: it’s Giving Season! What do you love about this time of year?
The last three months of the year are always exciting! There is a lot happening in our communities, and with our loved ones, and the energy is often contagious. It’s a great time to remind ourselves that the spirit of giving is the real spark for this collective energy we feel. That message is important to share and can resonate as the holiday hustle tends to take over. I have a lot of pride in being a part of that reminder to people around me and those who support Seattle Parks Foundation that when you give to an organization like ours, you are giving to many, and that sentiment is special to me. Giving Tuesday has always been a part of my career and it’s a great opportunity to do just that. I love crafting seasonal campaigns, finding new ways to talk about SPF and our partners’ work, and sharing those small reminders to take a break, be thankful, and appreciate those around you. My love language is also gift giving, so that certainly contributes to my love for this time of year!
You recently launched our new Evergreen Team, creating a way for donors to support community partners and Seattle Parks Foundation with regular, monthly gifts. Why is recurring giving so important?
I think as anyone with a recurring giving program can attest, having those monthly gifts as revenue that we and our partners know we can expect month after month, is not only generous but offers foundational support to keep spirits high and projects moving forward. It tells those working on the frontlines, in your neighborhood and for our outdoors, that this work matters. It’s such a joy to see familiar names every month, some who are reaching transactions into year 5 or 10. That dedication can’t be underappreciated. Launching the new Evergreen Team is a way to name those who provide sustaining support and celebrate them directly. Our program grew by 10% last year and that has contributed to the way we message and represent this group. As recurring donors, they really do give year-round and keep Seattle’s greenspace and civic initiatives at the top of their minds and hearts. That is evergreen giving.
Before you joined SPF, you worked in museum memberships. How does that work connect with what you do with and for our partners and donors today?
Membership programs are a network of their own within an organization. Like recurring donors, members consistently care about what is going on and give at least annually. All our 90+ community partners volunteer their time and treasure to something they care about, and our fiscal sponsorship program has become more of that membership-style network for collaboration and information sharing. When I made that correlation, plus the direct support from donors who are passionate about their cause, it clicked that annual giving is very similar to membership management. In my role, I am often working directly with partners and providing resources and tools for them to use on their own terms to represent their work to fundraise and advocate – this provides that community building cadence that continues to grow this grassroots network. I also am consistently speaking with donors, answering questions and sharing moments of personal gratitude for their support, no matter the size of the gift. This creates a closer connection and builds community through our shared values and hopes for the future that in any other mission-driven organization could be considered membership. We just typically say parks lovers!
You’ve worked with SPF for over three and a half years now! How has your job evolved or changed over time?
This role had never existed before I joined SPF in August of 2020. That gave me the ability to craft new goals and possibilities within development for our growing organization. For the first year or so, it was really about getting to know our partners and better understand the “why” and “where” of each of their projects – as well as get a handle on annual giving and the best times to communicate to our constituents for support or to share more details on initiatives. That time provided me with the relationship building necessary for someone who works with donors. Now I regularly communicate with not only our Evergreen Team but regular donors and those who make their own peer to peer campaigns to fundraise themselves. In the past year and half, I have been finding new and creative ways to promote our partners and share our work. I enjoy getting to track and report on the growth year over year as we go through another appeal or giving day. It is great to have data to gauge where we have been and where we are going. And as I’ve grown in my job, these metrics have helped my planning to build strategy to take on new objectives.
Your fundraising and community building work continues beyond your office hours with SPF. Would you like to share about Agate Creatives and your contributions there?
Sure! In July 2020, I joined a collective of current or previous museum professionals who identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and other marginalized identities. Our mission is to develop revolutionary experiences that dismantle white supremacy culture and amplify marginalized communities to reimagine the museum model. We become a resource for one another to support our job searches, current workplace journeys, and build friendships. We became incorporated as a nonprofit organization in the state of Illinois in 2021 and just recently were named one of the best Illinois nonprofit companies shaping a better tomorrow. We have presented at conferences on museums and race, anti-racist organization management, and are currently working on a print resource to publish in 2024. While we hope to build exhibitions in the future, we are currently in a good place with building our blog with fun and creative pieces on the museum world and growing our constituency. A big part of our work is building our network (another sort of membership if you will!), offering often gate-kept opportunities in the museum space, and prioritizing having fun with our work together. You can learn more and follow us on socials at www.agatecreatives.org.
You are passionate about so many things, but we really love how excited you get about sharing reading recommendations. Can you leave us with a favorite book or article to check out?
I love this question! And I really do get so excited to talk about books and what I am reading. When thinking about a favorite read that incorporates my passion for the environment, greenspace stewardship, animals, and memoirs, this one came to mind!
How To Be a Good Creature; A Memoir in Thirteen Animals by Sy Montgomery and illustrated by Rebecca Green.
Not only is it a beautiful story about how human beings connect with the natural world, but it also teaches what we can learn from animals if we just take the time to connect. An exploration of animal empathies and scientific conclusions on how nature betters us as individuals, each chapter shares a sweet story of how these thirteen animals taught Sy something throughout life’s journey. It’s a book I could read a second time and will definitely stay on my shelf. The illustrations are also gorgeous!