Resume

Valerie Costa's Resume

Current Employment

Owner, Aril Consulting, fundraising and non-profit management services. Vermont fundraising consultant with clients around the country.

Past Employment

Vice President/Chief Development Officer
Senior Services, Seattle, WA: Nov. 2004 – April 2010
Development generalist excelling in managing a diverse revenue generation plan.

Directed all private sector fundraising and community relations. Included oversight of all development functions (major gifts and planned giving, events, corporate and foundation support, annual campaign, direct mail, and online fundraising), $3 million Endowment, as well as agency public relations and marketing.
Ensured that agency fundraising goals ($2.4 million in 2010) were met through the creation and management of annual development plan and budgets. Increased net revenue by 10.5% in 2009.
Background in organizing allows me to better “connect the dots” to engage as many people as possible in fundraising. Notable progress in “building a culture of philanthropy” within Senior Services.
Participated in Executive Team, advising on agency-wide issues and strategic planning.
Oversaw the redesign of Senior Services website, www.seniorservices.org.
Managed 30,000+ constituent database, Raiser’s Edge, overseeing all gift and constituent entry. Created systems and coding schemes to complement the accounting system and Board reporting.
In prior position as Grants Manager, increased foundation revenue in one year by 50% by identifying new funders.
Prior positions held include Evaluation & Accountability Manager, Grants & Online Fundraising Manager, Development & Communications Associate and Administrative Assistant.

Chapter/Mailing Specialist
Service Employees International Union Local 509, Watertown, MA: April 2004 – Sept. 2004

Main contact for the local’s chapters and caucuses.
Streamlined contract reproduction and other office processes

Community Relations Coordinator
Barnes & Noble @ Boston University, Boston, MA: Dec. 2002 – March 2004

Planned the visiting author series and devised media and outreach plan for each event.

Designed advertisements, poster, and flyers for the store.

Organizer
Massachusetts Jobs With Justice, Jamaica Plain, MA: Jan. 2002- August 2002

Coordinated community support for ongoing union organizing and labor solidarity campaigns with a focus on student-labor action.
Secured speakers and made travel arrangements.
Participated in annual pledge drive and wrote grants.

Civic Engagement

Amnesty International
Volunteer leader and member since 1995

Volunteer leader for two years as NW representative for the Business & Human Rights program. Guest speaker at events and organized workshops on issues related to corporate accountability.
Past Board member of Amnesty International Puget Sound.
Communications Coordinator for the Seattle Human Rights Film Festival.
Lead organizer of Amnesty International’s Statewide Conference (WA State) in 2005 and 2007.
Past coordinator of “Get on the Bus,” a Northeast region day of action in NYC

Gu Chu Sum, McLeod Ganj, India
English conversation volunteer (July 2010 - August 2010)

Seattle Tilth
Master Composter/Soil Builder (2009 - 2010)

Led workshop on composting at Harvest Fair
Hours of outreach at fairs/farmer’s markets
Participated in two rain garden installations

United Way of King County
Volunteer tax preparer (2008)

Education

B.A. in History & International Relations, Boston University. Sept. 1999—Jan 2003
Certificate in Fundraising Management, University of Washington, Oct. 2006 – May 2007

Skills & Training

Languages
Completed Spanish, Portuguese and German classes (not fluent).

Software
Proficient in MS Office, Adobe Creative Suite and Raiser’s Edge.

Web Design
Proficient in Dreamweaver and DotNetNuke Content Management System. Basic HTML and CSS knowledge. Designed www.arilconsulting.com and www.gotb.org

Cultural Competence
Completed Undoing Institutional Racism and Beyond Inclusion trainings