Each year, the Association of Fundraising Professionals鈥 greater Detroit chapter honors southeastern Michigan鈥檚 most dedicated volunteers, philanthropists, and fundraising professionals with its annual awards.听糖心vlog安卓版 Detroit听is pleased to partner with AFP to introduce 2021鈥檚 slate of charity champions ahead of National Philanthropy Day on Nov. 21.
Receiving this year鈥檚 Dr. John S. Lore Award for Outstanding Fundraising Executive is an especially personal honor for Steve Ragan: Lore was the friend and mentor who first sat Ragan down and asked if he鈥檇 ever considered a career in development.听
鈥淚 honestly thought he meant real estate development,鈥 says Ragan, a Plymouth native who had some previous experience in political fundraising. The two began regular breakfast meetings where Lore 鈥 a powerhouse fundraiser who held many leadership positions at health systems in the region 鈥 would share his experiences.听
鈥淚 always wanted to do something where I had some impact in the community, and John convinced me that this was the way to do that 鈥 and have a very rewarding career,鈥 Ragan says. 听
His mentor knew what he was talking about. Over the course of Ragan鈥檚 30 years in philanthropy, he has helped raise hundreds of millions of dollars to benefit Eastern Michigan University, Lawrence Technological University, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Focus: Hope, and Hope Network as well as local health systems and other nonprofits.听
Not only that, but he has been an active board member and volunteer at many community organizations. That involvement is something he learned from Lore. 鈥淗e encouraged me to stay very involved in the community and become a board member myself,鈥 Ragan says. 鈥淚 wish more fundraisers did that. I learned so much from that that had such an impact on my professional work as well.鈥
It鈥檚 advice he shares with the many people he鈥檚 mentored over the years, too. 鈥淭here can be a tendency to get so wrapped up in the work in your organization,鈥 he says. 鈥淭he best fundraisers I鈥檝e known are really engaged in their communities.鈥 That often results in greater collaboration, which is something donors want to see now more than ever, he says.听
Ragan has also poured much of his time and talents into building the fundraising world by volunteering with Association of Fundraising Professionals chapters in Detroit as well as in New Orleans, where he worked for a few years to rebuild the city after Hurricane Katrina. He was the president of the organization鈥檚 greater Detroit chapter last year, and under his leadership, AFP made all of its programming free during the pandemic, allowing thousands of professionals to access training and support during a turbulent time for nonprofits and fundraising. 鈥淚鈥檓 really proud of how our community responded and how we as a chapter responded,鈥 Ragan says.听
Working in development, Ragan says, is so much more than most people think. 鈥淲hen they learn I鈥檓 a fundraiser, they think that I spend all of my time asking people for money,鈥 he says. 鈥淭he reality is I spend much more time thanking people.鈥
This story is part of our Give Detroit package and is featured in the November 2021 issue of 糖心vlog安卓版. Read more stories in听our digital edition.听
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