Name: Dawn Marie Perry (PEH-ree)
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Title: Collective Giving Officer
Organization: Rochester Area Community Foundation
Member since: 2022

How long have you been working in the fundraising profession?

I have worked in the development field in a variety of capacities since my first internship in 2011 with Tenet NYC, Inc. Prior to my current role, I built experience in marketing, advertising, and fundraising with several nonprofit arts organizations in New York City, including Ballet Hispánico, Aperture Foundation, New Victory Theater, and Daryl Roth Advertising. I have also worked in fundraising for Partnership Schools at Sacred Heart School in the South Bronx.

I joined Rochester Area Community Foundation (RACF) in January 2022 as Executive Assistant to the President’s Office and transitioned into my current role two and a half years ago. Today, I lead the Foundation’s four affinity funds—Black Giving Collective, LGBT+ Giving Circle, Latino Giving Circle, and Rochester Women’s Giving Circle—through grant review and processing, event planning, and strategic marketing and development. My work focuses on ensuring the growth, sustainability, and impact of these diverse collaborative funds while advancing inclusive philanthropy in our region. 

What do you love most about fundraising?

Fundraising as advocacy is important to me. Through my role at RACF, I've seen how policy and community attitudes can either support or hinder marginalized populations. I'm passionate about helping amplify the voices of individuals and their families who are underserved and overlooked in our world, ensuring their needs are visible in community conversations and funding priorities. This work requires both systemic thinking and personal storytelling—skills I use regularly in philanthropic engagement.

Why did you decide to join AFPGV?

I’m immensely grateful that Rochester Area Community Foundation is a great partner of AFPGV and has had a long-standing membership with our community. When I joined the Foundation in 2022, I was encouraged to join the chapter to strengthen my skills as a fundraiser, but most importantly to build new connections within this City I now call home. The wealth of knowledge, expertise, and perspectives about fundraising—especially in our Western NY and Finger Lakes region—has been vital to my professional and personal development. 

What do you enjoy most about being an AFPGV member?

I love AFPGV’s educational workshops and annual conference, which have been both insightful and encouraging in the space that I occupy. I particularly love programs that intersect civic action, IDEA, advocacy, and philanthropy as vehicles for change in our region—and beyond!

What example would you give of a strategy or practice you learned from a fellow AFPGV member or a recent AFPGV educational event that you have recently applied in the workplace that has brought you success?

Managing four active and engaged affinity funds at Rochester Area Community Foundation—while also supporting our internal culture-building work through Employee Resource Groups (ERG)—comes with both challenges and rewards. My role is uniquely positioned to foster collaboration and community through philanthropy and grantmaking, which makes intentional time management essential.

This year’s Creative Chemistry conference gave me practical tools I’ve already put into action—like using Microsoft Bookings, Forms, and AI to streamline donor engagement and save time. With our Foundation’s shift to CSuite, I’ve also introduced recurring giving options, making philanthropy more accessible for diverse audiences.

Birgit Smith Burton’s keynote address on navigating philanthropy in a shifting political landscape was also deeply affirming—not only in my role as both fundraiser and funder working at the intersection of inclusion, diversity, equity, and access, but also personally as a biracial Black woman in predominantly white spaces. Her insights underscored the importance of leading with authenticity and courage, lessons I’ve applied by shaping more inclusive facilitation practices in both giving circles and its grantmaking priorities, as well as ERG conversations. 

Why is Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (I.D.E.A.) important to you and for the work we do every day as fundraising professionals?

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (I.D.E.A.) are essential because they speak directly to the heart of philanthropy: building communities where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. As fundraising professionals, we are entrusted with stewarding resources in ways that reflect and honor the diverse identities, histories, and needs of the people we serve. Without I.D.E.A., our work risks reinforcing the very inequities we aim to dismantle.

On a personal level, I.D.E.A. resonates deeply with me because of my lived experience as a biracial Black woman who grew up facing food and housing insecurity in New York City. As an adult, I have also had to navigate predominantly white spaces, while members of my family continue to experience many of these same challenges. These realities make me acutely aware of how powerful it is to be seen, included, and granted equal access to opportunity.

This perspective informs the way I approach my work—whether by shaping grantmaking processes that lower barriers for smaller grassroots organizations or by ensuring our giving circles and donor communities elevate the voices and leadership of those most directly impacted.

Practically, I.D.E.A. also helps us build stronger, more sustainable fundraising strategies. When we design donor engagement and philanthropic practices with inclusion and equity at the forefront—such as offering multiple pathways for participation, using accessible language and tools, and intentionally elevating underrepresented voices—we deepen trust, broaden our networks, and ultimately strengthen our collective impact.

At our Latino Giving Circle’s 2025 Nuestra Comunidad grant awards ceremony this September, a colleague shared a quote from Esmeralda Santiago that has stayed with me: "Tell me who you walk with, and I’ll tell you who you are." For me, I.D.E.A. is not a side initiative; it is foundational to both the integrity of our profession and the transformative change we seek to inspire every day.

What is your advice to other AFPGV members?

The work we do as fundraisers is always worth it. We have the privilege of connecting with communities in real time and directing resources toward their most urgent needs. Fundraising is never passive; it is an active choice to channel dollars in ways that reflect our values, vision, and hope for the future.

In a recent conversation about doing hard things, a loved one asked me: "Is getting closer to the goal still a worthwhile pursuit, even if you never see the end?" For me, that perfectly captures what fundraising feel like—ongoing work that may never be “finished,” yet is deeply meaningful in every step forward.

In collective giving spaces—whether through giving circles, affinity funds, or fields of interest—we have the opportunity to redistribute wealth and power, empowering communities to tell their own stories and shape what comes next. Personally, I find joy in supporting organizations advancing Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (I.D.E.A.), because I believe that when we give together—our time, talent, treasure, ties, and testimonies—we grow together.

I’m grateful to do this work at Rochester Area Community Foundation, alongside my incredible Philanthropic Engagement team (Go, Team Donut!). Together, we care deeply about people and the future of our region—which is also why I’m proud of our AFPGV chapter.

Let's get to know you! If you would like to be featured in our next member spotlight or would like to nominate someone, please contact us!