July 14, 2017

Hello! It is with great excitement that we introduce Sarah Weishaar, TFFT’s new Director of Development and Strategic Partnership! Sarah’s passion for education, extensive experience working with nonprofit organizations, and knowledge of philanthropy make her the perfect fit for the role. Our entire team is eager to work with and learn from Sarah. The Director of Development and Strategic Partnership is critical to TFFT’s growth and success. We hope you’ll take a moment to read below to see how lucky TFFT is to have Sarah on our team. Please join us in welcoming Sarah to The Foundation For Tomorrow!

Hello everyone! My name is Sarah Weishaar and I am honored to be joining the TFFT family, focused on Development and Strategic Partnerships. I live with my husband, twin 3½ year old little girls and a 6 month old baby girl in Kalamazoo, Michigan, just a few hours east of Kaitlin and Caiti in Chicago. I have worked with many nonprofit organizations throughout my career, focused on generating support for them and building strategy and relationships to further their missions. I am driven by working with others to help make this world a better place – and could not be more excited to join the TFFT family to help do this in such a powerful way. Outside of work, my family is my pride and joy. There is never a dull moment in our house with the three young girls as they grow quickly and are an endless source of energy, excitement, and amazement. I love spending time outside (especially by the water or in the sun), exercising, cooking, reading, and listening to music.

I grew up in Columbus, Ohio and was very fortunate to receive a scholarship that enabled me to attend the University of Michigan. I studied science and medicine, exploring medicine as an opportunity to fulfill my desire to help people. I also loved learning about different cultures so I pursued a degree in Spanish culture and language as well. I ultimately decided that direct patient care was not how I wanted to focus my career, but instead wanted to try to help people in a different way – by attracting support to organizations who are committed to helping make people’s lives better and more well-supported in a holistic way. I have had the privilege of working in many large organizations ever since, including cultural institutions, hospitals, and schools doing just that.

While working at Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana, I had the opportunity to complete my Master’s Degree in Philanthropic Studies through the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University. I was truly inspired delving into the study of how powerful passionate people can be when they put their mind and resources toward making a difference in the world – and how you can truly make the most of channeling this energy in the right ways. As the producers of The Chronicle on Philanthropy and other world-renowned philanthropic research, I learned so much about how to approach challenges in the world and how nonprofit organizations can truly make the world a better place.

When my girls were born, I knew I had to find an organization that spoke to my heart and where I could apply my knowledge and learning in a way that would make an undeniable difference in others’ lives. I not only wanted this for myself, but also to expose my children to an understanding of life beyond our own and to an appreciation for helping others.

TFFT is the opportunity of a lifetime for me to apply my experience working with families, children, foundations, and individuals in such a focused way to help people in need. Every person that I meet and every new program I learn about affirms my understanding of this as one of the most inspiring organizations I’ve ever known.

I have seen personally the power of education to make a difference in someone’s life – it certainly did for mine. I have seen how a supportive and healthy home environment is key to a child’s development (regardless of where they live in this world) and how the challenges of this world can oftentimes make providing this extremely difficult. I can’t imagine overcoming the obstacles that so many of the TFFT scholars have so gracefully overcome and yet I am humbled by the common threads that unite us all as humans.

I am given hope by the success you have shown is possible when caring and passionate individuals come together and I am blown away by the generosity and commitment all of you have to allow this organization to thrive. I am so excited for all that lies ahead in helping even more vulnerable citizens through access to quality education.

Thank you for all of the work you do to make such a powerful difference and for welcoming me in such a warm way into the TFFT family. Please know how excited I am to get to know all of you better and understand how I can support all of the incredible work you are doing.

 

2022-05-21T02:02:08+00:00