People in Fundraising, season 3, ep. 23: Harvard Kennedy School’s Jessica Muñoz-Sainz

Jessica Muñoz-Sainz had just returned from her first development trip to London, before our “People in Fundraising” interview! She talks enthusiastically about this weeklong series of fundraising events, and that excitement carries over to our entire conversation.

Jessica and I got connected through “People in Fundraising” season 1 guest Jessica McNeill. Thank you Jessica!

In our conversation, Jessica covers:

*Being one of 10 children in a first-generation family, and the first in her family to attend college

*How her academic background in criminal justice, bioarcheology, and anthropology honed her research skills, enhanced her ability to connect with people, and give expression to Jessica’s innate curiosity

*How getting an internship through CASE, and being placed at Johns Hopkins, began her career in fundraising. This opportunity led to Jessica being a mentor to many students with similar family and economic backgrounds as herself.

*Starting at the 20-minute mark, how Jessica as a young fundraising professional looks at development processes with a fresher perspective

*Socio-economic and cultural differences in how people think about philanthropy (e.g., some communities feeling like a phone-a-thon call is intrusion; being surprised that people would give money to a cause)

*Hiring for a more inclusive workplace – what can institutions and hiring managers do better? What policies and unconscious biases are at play in less-inclusive workplaces?

Thank you for a very thoughtful and interesting conversation, Jessica! I am excited to see your career in fundraising continue!