Reno, Nevada · Est. 2014
I'm Donna — a program founder and fundraiser with a serious streak and a creative streak (sometimes at the same time). I'm interested in supporting missions that focus on health, women & children, and would love to learn about volunteer leadership opportunities or potential board service.
01 — About
I'm someone who shows up, builds the program, and stays long after the ribbon-cutting.
My career began as a college intern at the Mommy and Me Cancer Foundation in 2014. Over four years I moved from intern to program manager to board member, spear-heading My Body, My Mission — a prevention and early-detection awareness program for young mothers.
Before and since, I've supported Best Buddies, the Alzheimer's Association, the American Cancer Society, the California Vipassana Center, Flying Samaritans in Mexico, the Honolulu Museum of Art and Nevada Museum of Art, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and the University of Nevada, Reno. Different missions, same instinct: be useful, be steady, and leave the org stronger than you found it.
02 — Work
Ongoing
Annual Donor
A modest annual gift made during yearly retreats at the center.
Ongoing
Donor — Family Board Tie
Active donor household; my husband serves on the board of Renown Health, Northern Nevada's largest not-for-profit health network.
Recent
Major Donor & Community Partner
Recent four- and five-figure gifts to two regional art institutions (typically $10K–$15K each), alongside active community giving in the Reno area — with an interest in deepening involvement through board service.
2007 — 2008
Early Volunteer
Frequent volunteer with Best Buddies supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and a volunteer at the Alzheimer's Association walk event in 2008.
2009
Volunteer
Joined a cross-border mission to deliver Christmas gifts to children and to help provide medical diagnoses and medications for community members in need of treatment.
2014 — 2018
Intern → Program Manager → Board Member
Began as a college intern and grew into program leadership. Founded My Body, My Mission — a prevention and early-detection awareness program for young mothers, built around a social media campaign that grew to 30 active participants. Directly contributed to roughly $50K raised for MAMCF across four years, and served two years on the board.
2014 — 2020
Spokesperson & Talent Coordinator
Hosted events for over 30 companies as a spokesperson. Sourced and managed staff for events and productions, including contributing to a cancer awareness 5K multiple years consecutively.
2016 — 2020
Corporate Fundraising Lead — Farmers Insurance
Led employee-driven fundraising campaigns at Farmers Insurance benefiting one of the country's most respected health nonprofits.
03 — Proof
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Spokesperson for 30+ companies — the same public-representation skill a board director uses when speaking on behalf of an organization to donors, press, and the community.
·
Sourced, trained, and managed staff for events and productions, for franchise corporations like Farmers Insurance agencies, and recruited and staffed for CEOs — hands-on operational oversight that translates to HR, facilities, and capital committees.
·
Directly contributed to roughly $50K raised for MAMCF across four years on staff and on the board. Led corporate fundraising at Farmers Insurance benefiting the American Cancer Society. Understands how development connects to mission.
04 — Values
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Dollars raised are a trust. I treat every campaign, vendor relationship, and capital project with the rigor it deserves.
·
Programs only work when the people running them do. I hire, train, and mentor — and I've sat on a board before, so I know what good governance asks of staff.
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A decade spanning health nonprofits, the arts, corporate sales & marketing leadership, and academic-adjacent volunteering — I read a board packet from more than one angle.
05 — Capabilities
A decade across sales leadership, training, and program management — the same discipline I bring to a board room.
Download full résumé (PDF)↓M.S.
Industrial-Organizational Psychology
Graduate training in how organizations design programs, develop people, and measure what matters.
$55M+
Closed & managed
Two years as an Account Executive — full-cycle ownership of a complex book of business.
90%+
Client satisfaction
Sustained against an 82% company average across the same Account Executive tenure.
Sales & Marketing
Manager — Farmers Insurance
Promoted into a Sales & Marketing Manager role after years as a district trainer — owning campaign strategy, agent enablement, and KPI dashboards across a $50M+ market with 8% YoY growth.
120+
Agents trained & developed
Built district-wide onboarding and ongoing development programs at Farmers Insurance before stepping into sales & marketing leadership.
75+
Events & projects led
Seven years of recruitment, budgeting, and cross-functional coordination — with 15–25% cost reductions through better workflows.
06 — Contact
I'm interested in supporting missions that focus on health, women & children. If you're looking for someone personable, serious, and a little quirky to help lead — I'd love to hear from you.
info@donnalazarescu.com→