When Sandra Campero began presenting at conferences and connecting with fellow researchers, she had a revelation.

"I realized that what I was doing for a living was more than a job, it was my career," says Campero, assistant vice chancellor of advancement operations at UC Irvine. "It was an amazing feeling to connect with the research community to ‘talk shop' and help others learn from my challenges and successes."

Looking back at her 25-plus years in prospect research and management, Campero says she's grateful for the spirit of sharing and support that makes the advancement community strong.

"There are so many generous people in this field who go above and beyond to help us all grow in our profession," she says. As a faculty member for the Summer Institute in Advancement Services, she pays this forward by helping newcomers to the field learn and grow.

"Come with an open mind and have fun!" she advises those heading to a Summer Institute. "Look for opportunities to partner with your colleagues in different areas of advancement services. You're going to love it!

Here, Campero shares her career journey and challenges ahead for advancement services professionals.

How did you make your way to advancement and UC Irvine?

I didn't start with a well-thought-out plan. I got my start in advancement working as a receptionist at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California a year after graduating high school. I spent just more than 10 years at USC, learning about the fundamentals of fundraising.

Eventually, I was asked to join the team at Loyola Marymount University, ultimately serving as director of research. I was fortunate enough to have a manager who encouraged me to step outside of my comfort zone and engage more closely with our frontline fundraisers. Before I knew it, I was brainstorming ideas with fundraisers about prospecting, fundraising priorities and meeting with their deans. This manager also encouraged me to present at conferences, which opened up a whole new world for me.

A recruiter reached out and encouraged me to consider applying for a director position at the Arizona State University Foundation in Tempe, Arizona. I was intimidated but knew it was the opportunity of a lifetime. I took the plunge, interviewed, got the job and moved to Arizona. It was the best decision in my career. I spent six amazing years there and was fortunate to work for wonderful leaders who later became great mentors and friends.

I joined UC Irvine as the assistant vice chancellor of advancement services, where I have the privilege of overseeing the prospect development and donor stewardship units to support campus-wide fundraising efforts. In 2016, I received UCI's Staff Assembly Excellence in Leadership Award, a distinction awarded to individuals who inspire and engage their employees toward the goals of the organization, motivating contributions at the highest level.

What's one project there you've been really excited to work on?

Most recently, I am enjoying the work with the donor stewardship team. The team has been without a director for two years and I have been working on the day-to-day operations more closely, which has been challenging but also incredibly rewarding. I've learned a lot about the individual strengths of the team members and have a better sense of the leader I want to hire to help me elevate that department and make it even more successful. It's exciting work and it's going to get better as we roll out our updated endowed fund reporting, new impact stories and videos and improved processes.

What do you think are some of the biggest challenges advancement professionals face these days?

There are various challenges so I'll just point out two. First, technology. We have to leverage technology to raise fundraising dollars without losing the personal touch, and that's a delicate endeavor.

Second, communication. This is a constant challenge, especially now with social media. There is an expectation that we will leverage all channels of social media to engage with our audiences, yet many nonprofits are struggling with this concept.

What's the best thing about your job?

I enjoy serving in a leadership position and having input in the direction of the division. Even better than that is having the privilege of guiding my awesome teams. I absolutely love mentoring and motivating my staff and want them to know that their contributions make an impact on others and the overall success of the university.

This article is from the July 2018 BriefCASE issue.