We recently connected with Christine Brewster and have shared our conversation below.

Christine, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you think folks should manage their own social media or hire a professional? What do you do?

As the development manager for The Salvation Army of Newark, NJ, I had been responsible for all social media for at least the first year that I had been part of the organization. As most agencies or corporations do, I had tried to bring to life our mission and work through images or pictures of what was happening. Some images where stock photography others were pictures, I had taken if I was so lucky to catch those moments photographically.

A few months ago, a new supervisor joined our Corp., and he came to me to discuss our social media plan. What came out of that meeting was his passion, creative ability and experience to carry out the story telling with photos and videos that would make a strong impact. It was time for me to hand social media over to the right person.

My immediate reaction was to feel I had been kindly notified that my social media posts were “just not as good as they could be”. Honestly, I had to agree – ego removed. For the betterment of the organization and especially being a non-profit – story telling, brings home our mission to those that follow us and hopefully connect them more to the work that we do.

Since that time our new Captain has created lively photographs that show how The Salvation Army supports the city of Newark, NJ. Since the time of my letting go of social media, our views, likes and shares have increased exponentially. Sometimes, doing a personal inventory of your strengths, as well as challenges, is the most responsible activity you can do for yourself and your agency.

I now have the time to focus on what I can do to best deliver services, and our social media has been elevated to an extraordinary place deserving of the organization we work for.

Christine, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

As someone who still feels so young when I do the math of the big things that happened in my life such as college graduations, first and last babies, I am hit with the truth that while youth is a state of mind – the calendar has something else to say. This past summer, I turned 49. I have never been so reflective of where I am in my life and where I have been than I am this particular year. Almost 30 years ago I started Seton Hall University in South Orange, NJ as a political science major. My goal, like so many other students in the program, was to go to law school and make a career out of law.

After three or so years of college I began to volunteer in a community food bank. I will never forget the feeling I had after my first day of volunteering – something in me had changed. I was infused with the joy of service work. I knew this would be a turning point and a lifetime of service mostly in the non-profit/charitable world would be the future calling for me.

I immediately traded the GREs for the LSAT’S and applied to Seton Hall University’s Center for Public Service where I spent two full years in an MPA program. The MPA was still relatively new at this time. I proudly finished and began my career in fundraising. My first position was as Assistant Development Director for the National Down Syndrome Society in NY, NY. Since that time, I have worked in education, mental health, cancer and now human services. This year marks 25 years as a fundraiser. I have been tremendously successful and to me the secret sauce is relationships. You don’t simply ask for funding the moment you meet a prospect or donor, but you begin a relationship built on mutual respect and a mutual alignment of their funding desires with your mission to carry out specific goals.

As a fundraiser you quickly realize that it is unusual for funds to come in very quickly. It takes building trust and transparency and regular communications for a gift to be committed. If you are so lucky! Here at the Salvation Army we mainly support human services, youth programming and crisis stability. While I personally do not work with the person in need – my job is to ensure that we have the funding to be able to provide critical rent assistance, that our basketball and soccer teams continue to flourish. We seek to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty through education, therapeutic services and a connection to necessary resources.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I believe being a person who is for the mission and not for oneself has created a reputation for me of my dedication to that which I am raising funds for. Building relationships with donors, sharing information about projects in need of funding and asking for funding to be put towards the greatest need demands a relationship of trust between you and the donor.

Inviting people into the world of Newark, NJ. Having couples tour the after-school programs of the Boys and Girls Clubs that we manage as well as attend a basketball game, speak to a player or a coach and listen to our long-term plans for winning the battle against poverty.

Being educated specifically in this field has also given me the tools necessary to have the confidence I need to take action where I see opportunity. Strong storytelling and social media for those that only see our world on Instagram or Facebook is also critical.

The longevity of a quarter century dedicated to fundraising has also given me wonderful creditability in this field. Attending networking seminars and learning from your peers opens up your professional world a bit more.

Any advice for managing a team?

There is great responsibility in supervising a fundraising/development team. Creating opportunities for all to have a seat at the table with regard to the greatest responsibility of the department is key. While someone’s specific position may only ask them to cover a portion of an organization’s fundraising needs having the perspective of what your place is in the bigger picture is so key. We work as a team that may look like a puzzle. We are all pieces that add to the completeness of the work. However, you need someone that can position those pieces in just the right place that the staff member finds their way to fitting in the puzzle. As a full puzzle your chances of making your goals and creating true and impactful differences in the lives of those in some form of need is critical.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/home/#whatwedo
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NJSANewarkAreaServices/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-salvation-army-newark

Image Credits

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