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Mary Lee Alder has over 10 years of professional fundraising experience. She is a Certified Fund Raising Executive, board member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and a member of Willamette Valley Development Officers. She was most recently the Development Director for Self-Enhancement, Inc. (SEI) and oversaw a $3.5 million annual private fundraising goal for the multi-service youth development agency which serves primarily poor children and children of color. Before that, she served for eight years as the Planned Giving Officer/Senior Development Officer for Medical Teams International, an international relief and development agency. She was also a Brownie!
To get to know her better, I asked Mary Lee the following questions:
What is your favorite Girl Scout memory: "When I flew up to Girl Scouts from being a Brownie, we went to the beach and hunted for seashells."
How did Girl Scouts impact you? "At an early age, I became passionate about fairness for girls and other underserved/under represented people."
What is something you are proud of? "Every morning that I actually wake up an hour early and go for a run, I'm really proud of that!"
What advice do you have for girls? "Try new things! Eat weird foods. Every time something doesn't work out the way you think it should, you've learned something to use for next time."
Any advice for adults regarding to how to inspire girls? "When you see a girl doing something right, notice it and comment on it. These can be girls you don't even know. Point out the act of kindness you see her do. And by all means, tell her she's pretty! Every girl has something beautiful about her!"
Mary Lee's attitude on fundraising: "Generous people - at all levels of giving - are always looking for wonderful places to give their money. It's not so much about asking someone for a handout, it's more about asking people to join in this exciting adventure we're on and they're completely stoked to do it. Generous people get great joy out of giving money, whether it's one dollar or a thousand dollars."
Welcome Mary Lee Alder! | 
