Trish Smith

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Areas of Expertise:

• Corporate partnership programs
• Individual and high net worth major gifts acquisition, upgrade and cultivation
• Event-driven fundraising events
• Integrated fundraising program strategies

Trish Smith initially joined Coulter in 2002 as a senior director of resource development and left at the end of 2005 to manage the major donor program for the National Federation of Independent Business, one of the largest and most influential business organizations in the United States. Coulter persuaded Smith to return in 2009, this time as a senior vice president and member of the Executive Leadership Team. Prior to 2002, Smith held other positions including associate vice President of development for Trinity College in Washington, D.C. and vice president, corporate relations for the American Heart Association in the D.C. Metro area.

Over her career, Smith has provided inspired leadership to teams that have raised hundreds of millions of dollars in non-dues revenues from corporations, government, foundations and high net-worth donors that have fueled the mission of an array of high-profile nonprofit organizations. Smith's special talent is in donor psychology and in building partnerships focused on year-around opportunity, not just one-time investment. She is an expert in building integrated programs built around the four major areas of giving: corporate, individual, government and foundation to foundation (F2F).

At Coulter, Smith manages a crackerjack team of seasoned resource development professionals who research, raise, contract and track fulfillment around the millions of dollars generated each year for Coulter's clients. The methods used are as disparate and varied as the clients represented by Coulter, and Smith is a firm believer not in cookie cutter approaches, but in identifying the unique giving proposition that will ultimately result in success.

Smith graduated from the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland.

Smith and her husband, Ron, reside in Fairfax, Virginia.

Now, here's the backstory on Trish:

• Hometown: Dayton, OH 
• First Car: Mercury Comet and I shared it with two older sisters.
• Superhero power I wish I had: Flight - how wonderful would that be for commuting in the DC Metro area?  
• Favorite guilty pleasure: Watching a marathon of the television show American Pickers. It is amazing to see some of the items they choose to buy and the piles of junk they sift through in the process. What is the difference between a collector and a hoarder?
• Three publications I'd recommend for anyone who does what I do: IEG Sponsorship Report, The Chronicle of Philanthropy and onPhilanthropy.com
• What I do in my "free" time: I enjoy exploring antique shops, gardening, traveling and reading; plus I belong to a monthly gourmet group where I continually expland my culinary skills. I confess I am a bit of a foodie.
• If I could travel anywhere in the world, I would go...: at this point in time to Spain for the music, wine, weather and food. Then again, Fort Lauderdale is always near the top of the list as that is where my son and his family reside.
• Advice I would give my "younger self": Stay in the moment - don't get caught up in the whirlwind.
• How life has changed since I joined Coulter: I serve multiple association clients rather than just one. It keeps my professional life more challenging - and infinitely more interesting.
• At the end of the day...: a conversation via Skype with my toddler grandson Declan is delightful.