The work of the development team is what makes delivering our mission possible. While Kelly and Connie are also highly valued members of the team, when the rubber hits the road and the money needs to come in – two ladies lead the way. SOS has an annual operating budget of $4.2 million dollars of which one half is funded through the State of Florida. The remaining $2.2 million dollars are raised through corporate and individual giving, special events, third party events, and foundation grants. Read what it’s like for them to work together as they raise money.
DAWN SEAY
Chief Development Officer
DAWN ON ILANA
WHY IT WORKS:
She has an excellent work ethic. She genuinely enjoys what she does and is willing to put in the time to make sure things get done. Ilana cares a lot about our mission and the quality of her work. She has high career aspirations and is setting her trajectory towards greatness.
MOST IMPRESSIVE MOMENT:
There have been many. I would say that I am most impressed by her thought processes. Ilana thinks things through and arrives at strong and viable solutions which result in us working more effectively, and with increased donor satisfaction.
SOURCE OF MOTIVATION:
Seeing income grow!
FAVORITE PART OF WORKING TOGETHER:
Getting to understand the professional makeup of a millennial. I am always interested in her ideas and perspectives. We also share a love of crushing goals….her competitive spirit is what makes it work. She makes me laugh. A lot.
LITTLE KNOWN FACT:
Ilana is a foodie. She can tell you the best places to eat and is on top of all trending food and drinks. She is the culinary “go to” person!
ILANA HIRSCH
Director of Fundraising and Special Events
ILANA ON DAWN
WHY IT WORKS:
Dawn is extremely knowledgeable about all things development. At this point in my career, I have the opportunity to learn from the best! She is highly driven, which is motivating and inspiring. She has shown me so many ways to fine tune what we do so that we work efficiently and achieve big results.
MOST IMPRESSIVE MOMENT:
When COVID hit in 2020, she did not miss a beat by moving us to a virtual platform within weeks. This move was designed to maintain our engagement with donors and volunteers, as well as raise money. While others were scrambling to figure things out — we were ahead of the game.
SOURCE OF MOTIVATION:
Seeing income grow!
FAVORITE PART OF WORKING TOGETHER:
No day is the same. She is always setting the bar higher and matches my competitive spirit with more goals to reach. Her commitment to excellence pushes me to be my professional best.
LITTLE KNOWN FACT:
In addition to an insane work ethic, she is insanely creative. Her mind works in a way that she thinks in images and can conceptualize an entire campaign or project in moments. Most of what you see coming out of development is a result of her creative thought processes.
