SEPTEMBER 22 • 2022 | 13
Building Future Leaders
said Women’s Philanthropy
President Sherrie Singer of
Keego Harbor, who helped
select the cohort.
In fact, Inspire was
born from Singer’s recent
experience with another
Federation leadership ini-
tiative focused on building
solicitation skills, which are
critical to sustaining the
organization. Singer found
the program so valuable
that she decided to create
something similar — but
geared specifically toward women.
“Oftentimes at [Women’s Philanthropy]
campaign events, it didn’t seem many
women were signing up to solicit. We need-
ed to give women the tools and confidence
to ask others for money.
”
The program would ultimately provide a
meaningful leadership experience, training
women to become advocates, solicitors
and leaders for our community. Singer,
working with Women’s Philanthropy presi-
dent at the time, Betsy Heuer of Bloomfield
Hills, Associate Campaign Chair Nancy
Glen of Huntington Woods, and the
Inspire Program Co-Chairs Leah Trosch
of Franklin and Jennifer Silverman of
Franklin, made this a reality.
Over the course of seven sessions —
some on Zoom, thanks to
COVID — Inspire partici-
pants took in presentations
from local and national
experts in the philanthropy
space. (Skillman Foundation
CEO Angelique Power and
playwright Aaron Henne,
who taught a workshop on
developing one’s campaign
story, were among the
speakers.) They also simply
bonded with one another.
“It’s always challenging
when you bring together
a disparate group of women because you
never know how the group will gel,
” said
Trosch, a recent past-president of Women’s
Philanthropy. “They loved being in each
other’s company, which makes the expe-
rience of growing and learning so much
easier.
”
One thing that wasn’t easy for many of
the women: preparing to solicit. While
some felt “uncomfortable” asking for
donations, said Inspire participant Jayme
Kirschner of West Bloomfield, over the
course of the program they moved past
their hesitation. “
At one meeting, someone
said, ‘When you’re fundraising, you’re not
asking for yourself; you’re asking for some-
body who may not be able to ask for them-
selves,
” Kirschner recalled. “I had to put
TOP: The Inspire group at their “field trip” to New York
City. BELOW: Jennifer Silverman and Shelly Rubenfire in
New York. RIGHT: Susie Pappas, Betsy Heuer and Leah
Trosch.
continued on page 14
Sherrie Singer