“Trying to list everything that Erin and her team have done is overwhelming, so I will try to boil it down to three things that have had the most impact for FIRST Washington. First, she built an extensive network of supporters, donors, and volunteers who now support FIRST Washington. Second, Erin established strong ties with the education community by working with OSPI and individual school districts to help superintendents, teachers, and counselors understand that competitive robotics is an excellent platform for students of all abilities and ages to explore STEM. Lastly, she doubled our female participation in FIRST, raising it to 44% after years at 20%. Thank you, Erin, for your leadership.”
Royal School District
Gail Hardman, Assistant Principal, Red Rock Elementary / Royal Intermediate
Three FLL teams funded
In a community where sports dominate, the school had few options for students with other interests. Support for FIRST LEGO League made it possible to field three teams the district could not have funded on its own, and staff have heard again and again from grateful parents. The school’s focus is making sure every student can take part.
The 5th Avenue Theatre
Development program launch
$1M goal in 9 months
$600K+ raised at gala
“Erin is one of the best fundraising professionals that I have ever worked with. She is focused, strategic, and gifted at working with diverse personalities while keeping her eye on meeting deadlines and on building and growing relationships. Her communication style is clear and effective, keeping each of us on task. Our Board of Directors has worked with her twice, supporting the philanthropic needs of our incredible 5th, and we are grateful for her leadership and skills.”
For its 75th anniversary, the theatre retained Erin to create its first development program. Serving as development director, she worked with the managing and artistic directors, staff and board to write the organization’s first case statement and fundraising plan, with a goal of $1 million in nine months.
The Diamond Jubilee Gala, featuring dinner and performances by leading musical theatre artists, raised more than $600,000 of that goal. A major gifts program, The Producers Club, launched in spring 2002 to deepen patron engagement and remained successful years later. An expanded corporate sponsorship program and targeted foundation strategies rounded out the plan.
Outdoors for All Foundation
Outdoors for All Foundation
Interim director of development & capital campaign director
$4M capital campaign
“We retained Erin to step in as our interim director of development. Erin quickly went to work supporting our Development Team in achieving our annual fundraising goals while serving as our campaign director for the capital campaign to purchase the building we were leasing. She was terrific at work and effective in helping us raise the $4 million needed for our building.”
Odyssey, The Maritime Discovery Center
Capital campaign, Pier 66, Seattle
$14.2M campaign
$10M raised in under two years
Opened June 1998
After a decade of fundraising challenges, Odyssey’s board hired Erin in August 1996 to raise the remaining $10 million of a $14.2 million capital campaign in time for a June 1998 opening.
Working with the 42-member board, she built a strategic campaign plan, put leadership structure, timelines, gift charts and tracking systems in place, trained leaders new to fundraising, recruited campaign committee members, reworked the case statement and collateral, and secured local press coverage. Supporters included the Port of Seattle and maritime, fishing and trade companies, associations and unions across Washington and Alaska.
The full $10 million was raised from individuals, company foundations and public entities. Odyssey opened on schedule, and Erin stayed on as fundraising counsel and interim executive director for 18 months.
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Western Washington
Capital campaign
$11.5M campaign
24 months
100% board participation
Erin served on a three-person campaign team for an $11.5 million campaign to build a new home away from home for families of seriously ill children. The team began with a feasibility study assessing leadership, case for support, giving potential, organizational strength, internal readiness, and climate and timing.
From there the case statement was refined, the project scope and timeline defined, and campaign leaders and steering committee volunteers recruited and trained. Every board member made a personally significant stretch gift. The completed facility now helps more than 1,000 families a year from across the Pacific Northwest and Alaska.
National Conference of State Legislatures
2005 Annual Meeting, Seattle
$1.6M+ raised
$225K in-kind
$17M+ regional economic impact
BA$ICS served as fundraising counsel for NCSL’s 2005 Annual Meeting, held August 16–21 in Seattle — the largest meeting in the organization’s history and the first hosted in Washington since 1985. Working with a Host Committee of Washington State Legislature leaders and private- and public-sector partners, the team raised more than $1.6 million plus $225,000 in in-kind support to host thousands of legislators, policy leaders, staff and their families.
The four-day meeting generated more than $17 million in economic impact for the Greater Seattle area, exceeding projections.
Seattle Aquarium Society
Otter Open Golf Classic
5 years
$50K+ raised
For five years the Aquarium Society entrusted Erin with its signature Otter Open Golf Classic at the Broadmoor Golf Club. The BA$ICS team secured sponsors and support, then produced the tournament, tee prizes, on-course contests, a cocktail reception and silent and live auctions — raising more than $50,000 for the Aquarium’s marine conservation mission.
Fundraising & Public Affairs
