Josh Pushkin is chief development officer at Lambda Legal. Founded in 1973, Lambda Legal is the oldest and largest national organization committed to achieving the full civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and those with HIV through impact litigation, education and public policy work. Lambda Legal successfully uses strategic and collaborative advocacy to press for laws that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity or HIV status, and to defeat efforts to repeal or weaken such civil rights protections.

We chatted with Pushkin as Pride Month kicked off and again after his organization announced its $180 million comprehensive campaign – the largest in the movement’s history.

Do you feel that prospect research and prospect management are different in an LGBTQ+ organization, as compared to other types of organizations? If so, how? 

In some ways, yes. We have an authentic, committed community of donors who want to pull together and feel a part of something larger than themselves, and so events are an important part of our strategy. Law firms and corporate partners send employees to our events, where they often make a fund-in-need pledge. Then we steward those gifts with strong outreach processes.

We screen new event donors, in addition to doing a comprehensive screening every 18 months and more focused screenings as needed. Our database team gets that information into our customer relationship management (CRM) platform, and then our interim director of major gifts assigns prospects to gift officers based on their region, interests or level of support. 

Beyond that, identifying prospects who are LGBTQ+ or allies takes a very nuanced understanding. Therefore, we rely a lot on our volunteer leaders – our national board, national leadership council, emeritus board, campaign cabinet and local boards around the country – to help with that identification. These committed volunteers have really driven our success. Unlike many organizations, we have very limited naming opportunities to “sell,” so all our work depends on these strong relationships.

No constituent wants to feel like an ATM. Prospect research is especially important for finding good door openers to prospects and fueling the connections that turn prospects into donors. The specific twists and turns of building truly authentic relationships are often hard to quantify or predict. We have learned to embrace the chaos and seek joy in growing our donor community.

How does Pride Month advance relationships with your current and potential major gift donors? What, if anything, changes for you during this celebratory time?

This year, we launched our Unstoppable Future campaign on the eve of Pride Month. We are seeking to raise $180 million – and are already over 80% of the way there!

The moment we are in is critical. More than 1,200 bills targeting our community have been introduced in 48 state legislatures, with over 130 enacted into law in 24 states. The urgency of our mission and our campaign couldn’t be clearer. We must act now. 

We’ve been grateful to have donors step up to generously offer a $100,000 challenge grant initiative each year during Pride Month, to inspire additional annual fund support. And we speak at a lot of employee resource group meetings during Pride, which enhances our philanthropic and other partnerships with those corporations and law firms.

Think of Lambda Legal’s achievements and plans, and imagine what Pride Month 2054 might be like. What do you see? What are your hopes for that future?

We’re dreaming of a country where any couple can walk down the street, hand in hand, without fear of bullying or harassment and where all trans and nonbinary people can live authentically and thrive: a country where we all have the right to be who we are, love and marry who we want and create whatever families we choose.

Connect with Pushkin on LinkedIn.

Katelyn Martin
Managing Director of Strategic Information Services, Campbell & Company

Katelyn Martin leads the strategic information services practice at Campbell & Company, where she and her team are focused on how clients can use data, systems and processes to help clients grow their relationships and their fundraising results at all levels of the gift table — and achieve greater mission impact.

Martin joined Campbell & Company 2013 as part of the Fundraising practice and leverages her experience as a frontline fundraiser to bring together the art and science of fundraising. She has deep experience serving a wide range of clients and client needs, from interim support to campaign counsel to prospect management process design. 

Martin’s experience prior to joining Campbell & Company in 2013 includes a unique combination of fundraising and consulting. Her direct fundraising experience focused on arts and culture and youth development, including positions with the Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana and the Boston Children’s Chorus. As a consultant with The Hackett Group, a management consulting firm serving a wide array of Fortune 500 clients, Martin served as a trusted advisor and developed keen analytical skills that serve her well in applying rigor to her client work.

Martin graduated with a bachelor of music in arts management from Northwestern University, where she studied in the voice and opera program. She lives in Chicago with her husband and two children.

Jeffrey A. Walker, PhD
Senior Strategic Research Officer, Simmons University

Jeffrey A. Walker, PhD, is the (fully remote) senior strategic research officer for Simmons University's Office of Advancement and has been a prospect development professional since August 1998. He is also a longtime member of the Apra Content Development Committee, a former Apra Wisconsin president and a current advisory board member for the Wisconsin chapter.