bird’s eye view

Discover how the Little Wishes program, founded in memory of an 8-year-old cancer patient, has transformed countless lives. With support and innovative coaching, the program has expanded to 38 hospitals, demonstrating that even small acts of kindness can have a monumental impact.

Partnering with Cartier as a Luminary Thinker has opened up new horizons for me. Discover the meaningful strides we’re making with the RedBoxMe initiative. Join me in exploring the power of collaboration and shared values as we shape a brighter future together.

As I sit here, like many of you, I am scrambling my personal and professional schedule with the Coronavirus outbreak front and center and all the crazy logistics that entails; school closings, remote work policies and keeping myself and my family calm, healthy and happy during an otherwise very hectic and stressful time.   Let’s […]

Today started like most days.  Up early, Peloton workout, email starting beeping at 6:20am.  So much to do. Do our to-do lists ever get shorter? Nope. No chance.   What do I/we have to say about that?   Maybe today was a little different. I’m finally sitting down here writing something down after a year […]

I’ve worked in philanthropy for my entire career. Indeed, coming up on 27 years – really hard to believe. I’ve had great jobs, tough jobs, amazing bosses, crazy bosses, access to incredible philanthropists and people and have mentored and coached super talented young fundraisers and I’ve been blessed with mentors and people to look up […]

As summer and my birthday approach this time of year I am always reminded of how we are constantly afforded the opportunity for new beginnings.  Graduations, summer adventures, old chapters closing and new doors opening.  Yes, it’s a romantic view of our time rotating around the sun and no surprise, I’m a sucker for commencement […]

In the category of random and possibly inappropriate nicknames, I had a former boss who used to refer to me in public as “General Disruption.”   She gave me the nickname because, as she put it, I was there to disrupt the ways in which the organization was thinking about and tactically fundraising.  Of course, […]

About three years ago my life was crumbling.  My marriage was over, I was trapped in a job I didn’t love, was working insane hours for a very difficult person and it was taking everything I had to hold it all together – for me and for my two kids.  I was laying up in […]

For Sterrin Bird, founder of Pacific Advancement Partners, nonprofits are never ‘business as usual’ – creative and innovative thinking can support their missions with maximum positive impact. A nationally recognized leader in the nonprofit community, Sterrin has more than 25 years of experience in service to philanthropy, with an emphasis in capital campaigning and major gifts.

I was recently given the gift of 10 quiet days of solitude on Turtle Island, Fiji to reflect and regroup after a very busy 2016 full of change and challenge.  Like many of you, my year was full of a lot of work and family obligations – and much of it ended up being surprising and, yes, even shocking!  Certainly tiring!