Member Spotlight: Jewanna Apawu

Jewanna Apawu
Donor Relations Manager
Johns Hopkins All Children's Foundation

ADRP member for about 10 years

How long have you worked in donor relations/stewardship and how did you get involved in this profession?

I transitioned from public relations/communications about 11 years ago. I began as a project assistant on a donor relations team, when I had no clue what donor relations was! I’m a skilled writer and creative, so I fit in well with my team and quickly became an acknowledgement writer and someone to brainstorm with for creative gift ideas.

Could you tell us something about the organization you work for?

Johns Hopkins All Children’s Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, in sunny St. Petersburg, Florida. We’re a team of 30 raising about $20M per fiscal year through events, planned gifts, sponsorships, and outright donations. We’re also a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital partner. It’s an incredible place to work and see how philanthropy can really impact health outcomes for kids.

Do you host any special programs or events for the children you serve during the holidays?

All Kids Wonderland is our signature holiday event for our kids. So many children and families find themselves spending their holiday season at the hospital and Wonderland allows them to go “shopping” on our hospital campus for toys and gifts, not just for the patients, but also for the siblings, who are just as impacted by illness and the emotional and financial toll it takes on a family. I also love Wonderland because it eliminates socioeconomics from the equation. There are no rich or poor kids at Wonderland. Everyone has vouchers and can take their pick of the toys and gifts made available.

What do you like most about being a member of ADRP?

Local conferences are invaluable; they allow me to make connections with professionals outside of my current children’s healthcare focus. It’s always interesting to see how different shops steward their donors. And everyone is incredibly willing to share best practices – I was even invited to tour a children’s hospital similar to the one I work at and have a sit down with their donor relations team to talk shop.

What is your greatest donor relations/stewardship achievement?

Every two years, our foundation hosts a donor recognition dinner for 200 top contributors. Although I do not consider myself an “events person,” I am the team lead. This past October, after six months of planning, I entered a beautifully decorated space full of happy donors, who remained fully engaged for the entire program — which ended exactly on time! Touching every part of a successful donor-focused event, and seeing it come to fruition, is the highlight of my year.

What is the most important professional goal you are currently pursuing, i.e., attaining a degree, preparing to give a presentation, launching an initiative at work or in your community, etc.?

I am determined to make this the year we build an endowment reporting process. It’s a daunting task, but endowments are the gift that keeps on giving and I do not want these long-term donors to get lost in the fray.

How big a role does the use of social media play in your work?

Social media is led by our Marketing department, but I always have my ear to the ground and try to connect the dots between happy healthy kids and innovative programs that would not have happened without help from philanthropists.

Is there a resource, i.e., book, blog, website, etc., that you would recommend to other ADRP members?

Currently, if I have a burning donor relations question, I reach for the business cards of folks I meet at ADRP conferences. And when all else fails – YouTube!

What is the best piece of professional advice you have ever received?

My current EVP gave me permission to try new things and “fail fast.” If you don’t like how things have been done in the past, then change them.

Are there any particular stories, insights, etc., from your experiences in donor relations and stewardship that you would like to share with our colleagues?

When something is successful – a report, a donor gift or proposal, repurpose and reuse it. I used to recreate everything from scratch, but I found that if you start with strong messaging, that message won’t change much over the years of a campaign. Refresh and tweak your wording and graphics and get some mileage out of your pieces.