Linda Smith and the Confessions of a Sin City Fundraiser

by | May 3, 2022 | Learning Edge Blog, News

Jennifer Filla

Whatever you do, don’t say “No” to Linda Smith! She is the kind of woman who gets energized whenever she is told “no,” or that something can’t be done – or that her newborn baby can’t be a U.S. citizen because he was born with a disability.

Sometimes not knowing, or not accepting that something can’t be done, is the best path to getting it done. After 18 years, Linda’s son did become a U.S. citizen. And Linda spent 36 years volunteering and working for Opportunity Village, raising nearly half a billion dollars in Las Vegas.

Now Linda is on a quest to share her fundraising journey with you, so that you might learn from her mistakes and raise more money in a shorter time for the causes you serve. And I’m not just talking about the front-line fundraisers that talk directly to donors.

Prospect research professionals must understand the fundamentals of fundraising in order to find and present the information that will move fundraising forward.

Linda’s words of wisdom might surprise you. You might not even like the way it “sounds,” but you won’t be able to deny the truth her life story, and her fundraising success, tells.

P.S. Don’t forget to purchase her book below! All proceeds go to the Christopher Smith Foundation.

Resources Mentioned

Confessions of a Sin City Fundraiser: How a former showgirl found her passion and raised half a billion dollars for Las Vegas charities | Linda Smith | 2021 | 100% of proceed go to the Christopher Smith Foundation

Christopher Smith Foundation | Supporting programs that provide respite to families, scholarships to future caregivers and onsite hospital sitting services to patients

Linda’s Life | Linda Smith | An engaging motivational, inspirational speaker

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I love your Master Class format – small group, clearly defined curriculum, solid professional information and resources and focus on discussion.  But most importantly I was impressed and delighted to see that you incorporated an additional and extremely practical layer of knowledge, through hands on experience with tools (pivot tables) or resources (Candid).  This adds real value to the educational experience you offer.

Betsy Mehlman

2020-Master Class

Jen’s course on insider stock and compensation was informative, interesting, and well-thought out. Jen broke down the complicated material into digestible pieces. She showed us resources that I use in my day-to-day research that I wouldn’t have otherwise known about. Jen is always quick to respond and has been helpful even after the class has ended. She answers questions thoroughly and is always pleasant.

I was able to take what I learned from the course and present the material to our front-line fundraisers. One fundraiser told me after my presentation that she discovered one of her donor’s compensation was much higher than she thought. So, already, this information has come in handy! Thanks again Jen!

Kim Anthony, San Francisco CA

Insider Stock and Compensation

The Capacity Rating Workshop was really useful. I was new to the prospect research field when I took the workshop, so it helped to demystify capacity ratings for me. The online classroom provided a great forum for interaction with the other participants and for a robust exchange of ideas. Beyond that though, Jen shared a wealth of information and resources about capacity ratings and other important aspects of prospect research. I highly recommend this workshop whether you’re new to the field or have years of experience in our profession.

David Lloyd, Prospect Research Professional, San Francisco, CA

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