Mary Anne Stchur joined the Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence in February 2017 as the director of philanthropy. In her role, Stchur provides strategic and administrative oversight of BGC Providence’s array of fundraising programs while cultivating relationships with businesses, foundations and individual donors to advance the organization’s mission of changing the lives of local youth through education and job training.
Prior to joining BGC Providence, Stchur spent 10 years as director of fundraising and operations with Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Delaware, where she implemented the hospital’s first annual giving program and created its first $1 million endowment.
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PBN: You recently joined the Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence as its director of philanthropy, following 10 years as director of fundraising and operations with Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Delaware. What led you to a career in development?
STCHUR: I entered the development field by accident. After college, I began working for a firm that abruptly closed a year after. Being newly married and in need of a job, I was offered an administrative position with the development department of an all-girls school and immediately accepted. At the time, I had no idea that decision would change my life. It was at this school where I was introduced to the world of philanthropy, which was completely new to me.
I was instantly attracted to the profession and inspired by the generosity of donors and how they were able to transform lives through their giving. I also had an incredible mentor who recognized my desire to learn. She took me under her wing and found every opportunity to help me grow and, within months, I was the school’s director of annual giving. I attribute my success and love of fundraising to her. Since then, I have fundraised for academia, the arts and children’s health care. Along the way, I’ve learned that I am most passionate about helping kids.
PBN: What attracted you to the opportunity with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence?
STCHUR: First and foremost, what most attracted me to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence is the organization’s mission. After spending 10 years working for a children’s hospital, I knew I wanted to continue my career with an organization that helps kids. During my interview, I was instantly drawn to the fact that the board and staff were all there for the same reason – to help children reach their full potential.
I was aware of the organization’s great reputation and their programs, but BGC is so much more than gym and swim. Through our seven clubs in Providence, we have a robust workforce-development program that employs teens, training and mentoring them to grow into productive adults who give back to their community. We also offer a variety of hands-on, STEM-based workshops, and serve more than 106,000 meals to our members each year. The work of BGC Providence is meeting one of the greatest needs I’ve ever seen – 82 percent of our members live in poverty. We are dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty and our kids inspire me each day to make a difference.
PBN: What is the most important lesson you’ve learned when trying to engage the public in a fundraising campaign?
STCHUR: The most important lesson I’ve learned comes from the early days of my career – giving is very personal and every dollar counts. Whether it’s a $5 donation from a neighbor or a $1 million gift from a foundation, every gift is important and has the potential to positively impact someone’s life. Telling your organization’s story and explaining what you do sounds simple, but makes such a big difference.
At BGC Providence, we enjoy a rich history and many of our alumni credit their successes to the support they received as club members. These [are] personal connections, where former members share their stories [and] give the members of today hope and inspiration. We want our kids to think about their future and to dream big. I’ve also found that people are very generous and get a lot of satisfaction out of helping others. Donors like to feel valued and appreciated – we especially enjoy when donors take the time to tour our clubs and meet the kids who are directly benefiting from their philanthropic giving.
PBN: What are the biggest philanthropic challenges organizations [such as] the Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence face when encouraging public participation?
STCHUR: The biggest fundraising challenges faced by organizations [such as] ours is competition for dollars among individuals, businesses and foundations. This is particularly true in a state of Rhode Island’s size, where many organizations are doing great work while generating support from what some would consider a limited pool of donors. We are also seeing less and less federal funding and reimbursements we relied on in the past. [As with] many other organizations impacted by these cuts, this has led us to explore new funding avenues and partnerships.
Another challenge is drawing the connection between your facility’s needs and donors’ giving interests. Being the oldest continually operating Boys & Girls Club in the country also means some of our clubs could use an update. We need to be strategic in how we approach potential funders to illustrate how capital improvements directly impact the youth we serve.
PBN: You’ve spent a lot of your professional career working with children’s groups, what are your goals in this position?
STCHUR: As we prepare to celebrate our 150th anniversary in 2018, I want to be integral to securing the resources that will help drive the organization for the next 150 years. Of course, as a fundraiser, I really see this as a two-pronged approach. I am heavily focused on growing the organization’s annual giving, which will provide immediate funding while also expanding our donor base for future support.
We have also begun to lay the foundation for funding requests for capital improvements – a huge goal of mine – along with growing our endowment. But above all, I want to be part of providing the best experience possible for the children we serve, where they have a safe environment to learn and be active, enjoy nutritious meals, build confidence and lasting relationships, and pursue their dreams.
Emily Gowdey-Backus is a PBN staff writer. You can follow her on Twitter @FlashGowdey.
