Talk to Nicolle Mulholland, Account Manager, Concord Direct for even just a few minutes, and some things* will become clear:
- A passion for helping others is in her blood.
- A quiet leader is still a force to be reckoned with.
- She understands the power of fundraising—and she loves “being able to create a positive environment for everyone along the way.”
Talk to her colleagues, and they’ll tell you that Nicolle cares deeply about the work she’s doing as a fundraising account manager—perhaps because she’s seen firsthand just how much of a difference nonprofits can make.
“Right after college I served for a year as an Americorps VISTA at a small nonprofit in Eastern Connecticut with the primary focus of raising awareness about food insecurity and food justice,” she said.
“I was then hired by that same nonprofit to help manage their community programs such as Holiday Giving and their free Summer Meals program. During my time there, I saw how large an impact the programs we implemented had on the community—from the people we were serving, to the volunteers, to the donors; our programs made a difference.”
After volunteering for and working in programming at several nonprofits, including International Justice Mission, Nicolle transitioned to direct response fundraising at Concord Direct nearly two years ago. She quickly rose from Account Coordinator to Account Manager.
“I had seen over and over again how important fundraising is to the programs nonprofits develop and implement,” she said of her decision to make the switch.
Today, she draws on her experiences to help deliver sound strategies and the highest level of service to a wide range of clients.
As to what makes her so successful, the self-described manager of relationships said that “active listening paves the way for stronger relationships with clients when they see that we genuinely want to hear about their goals, their concerns and their wins.”
In addition to learning all she can from her colleagues—never missing an opportunity to ask questions that will help her learn and grow—Nicolle also points to the DMFA as an important resource.
“So much of our work in fundraising is centered around relationship building and the DMFA provides the chance to get to know others who are working in the same industry and learn from each other.”
*You’d probably also learn that she loves ice cream too.
— Written by Melanie Williams
