10/2/2012: 5 Ways to Ratchet Up Your Fundraising Using LinkedIn

Maria Semple is Principal of The Prospect Finder LLC, an organization that helps nonprofit organizations and financial advisors identify their best matches for donors or client prospects. Her firm specializes in prospect research on high-net-worth individuals, foundations. and corporations. She also provides training seminars and webinars for staff members who wish to augment their prospect research skills. / Semple is a highly sought-after speaker whose past speaking engagements have included the Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement, the Support Center for Nonprofit Management, and New York University’s Heyman Center for Philanthropy and Fundraising. In 2007, she authored two downloadable and interactive prospecting tools, which include an extensive compilation of research resources.

Marc W. Halpert is Managing Partner, Your Best Interest LLC and its divisions: e-giving and connect2collaborate. Halpert specializes in offering paperless electronic payment services to optimize the cash flow of and speed collections to both for profit and nonprofit companies. In his latest business, Connect2Collaborate, Halpert uses his skills in networking and his LinkedIn evangelism to train and coach others. / He has been recognized for client service and is a frequent speaker at national, regional, and local conferences for small businesses and nonprofits. He has also authored articles on innovations in cash flow technologies, and on LinkedIn as a powerful branding power. He volunteers as a counselor at the award-winning Norwalk, CT chapter of SCORE where he provides expertise in e-commerce, nonprofits, and social media. He also teaches LinkedIn to job-seekers at Connect to Care at Westchester Jewish Community Services in Westchester County, NY.

Geri Stengel is president of Ventureneer and Stengel Solutions. She is a Kauffman FastTrac GrowthVenture facilitator and former adjunct professor of entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship at The New School. She is on the board of Praxis Housing, former vice chair of Governance Matters and past board member of the New York City Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners. A graduate of the corporate world, Geri worked for The Wall Street Journal and headed marketing for Dow Jones’ online services and launched Physicians’ Online before the Web.