Q: What was your experience with Development like before coming to Dancing Rabbit?  

Matt: This was my first non-profit experience. Development did not seem like a natural fit for my skill set, however I was supportive of the cause which is a large key to this role. My background is in education. 


Priscilla: Prior to this position my first foray into nonprofit development work was as a Development Associate for The Brotherhood/Sister Sol, a youth development organization in Harlem, NYC. In this position I assisted with managing the organization’s donor database, grant writing, crafting promotional material, and writing donor acknowledgement letters. While living in NYC I also attended many nonprofit development courses and workshops facilitated by the Foundation Center, which at the time provided many free resources and professional trainings for nonprofit development professionals. I completed courses on Finding Grants, Proposal Writing, Fundraising Planning, and Corporate Giving. These combined experiences allowed me to transfer my academic training to fit the needs of a team effort in a fast-paced work environment, trained me in data management and nonprofit grant writing, and provided me with a strong foundation in the field of nonprofit development. 

I should also add that it was when I was an undergraduate student at UC Berkeley that I first learned how powerful fundraising could be. When I was an undergrad, I assisted undocumented Berkeley High School students apply for scholarships so that they could attend college. The experience was very formative for me as it introduced me to the idea that you could raise funds to make a real, tangible difference in people’s lives.      

Q: Priscilla, what did you learn there that you hope to bring to the table at DR?

Priscilla: Bro/Sis had a more fully fleshed out development team, so I learned a lot about the inner workings of nonprofit development from a group of seasoned and extremely skilled nonprofit fundraising professionals. The development team had a social media guru, a very experienced grant writer, and a talented events and marketing coordinator. As the Development Associate I helped each of them with different tasks, and I learned a lot about the different layers within the field of nonprofit development. It was through them that I learned that nonprofit development consists of many different parts, many different areas of specialization, but each with the same goal of raising funds for the nonprofit’s mission. As the new DR Development Lead, and as pretty much a one-person team, I hope to help create a multi-level fundraising approach that ensures the financial sustainability of the non-profit here for many years to come. 

Q: Matt, what was your favorite aspect of Development at Dancing Rabbit? 

Matt: I think donor relations and appreciation were both the most rewarding part of the job, and what I was the most successful at. It gives you fuel for the mission you are supporting to be in contact with those willing to donate money, energy and support. It's easy to eventually have our heads down when we are in the thick of creating something. Having conversations with those that are inspired allows us to see a different perspective that is often encouraging. 

Q: Priscilla, what are your goals for yourself in this role?

Priscilla: I would like to ensure that DR has more institutional support from foundations and government agencies, and I would like to foster stronger relationships with all of our individual donors. I believe that the ecovillage movement has so much potential to provide individuals with alternative ways of living that are better for people and the planet, so I hope to contribute to DR’s growth and the growth of the ecovillage movement.    

Q: Matt, what do you consider your most successful moment in this role?

Matt: I think that I weathered some particularly difficult challenges in this role and I take pride in that. We (and lots of people) had a rough couple of years without a lot of answers that felt concrete. Maintaining some equilibrium in this role was overwhelming and challenging for me.

Q: Priscilla, what is the most exciting new step you've taken since starting at DR?

Priscilla: I am very passionate about increasing racial and economic diversity within DR and the tri-communities. I recently submitted a grant application to provide scholarship opportunities for people from socioeconomically diverse backgrounds to participate in DR programming, and that was very exciting for me. My first introduction to DR was as a participant in the May 2021 Women’s Retreat, and I received a partial scholarship to attend that event. I literally wouldn’t be here now if it hadn’t been for that opportunity, so in my role I hope to provide other people with the same chance I got to visit DR. 

Q: Matt, where are you now? What are you doing and hoping to be doing?

Matt: I'm in Fayetteville, AR so that I can continue to be a large part of my five-year-old son Henri's life. I'm still in transition and adjusting to "society". I am working at two different preschools, one of which is very exciting. An ex-Eastwinder runs a Farm & Forest preschool that I get to co-teach at two days a week. It's nice to guide children in a way that meets my viewpoints. 

Q: Also, as a bonus, Matt has a background in Music Education and Priscilla has a background in academia. How does music and academia figure in Development? (Does it?)

Matt: There is some similarity to me in how you relate to an audience. You are preparing something that you would like to be appreciated and some transaction can signify this. You are responsible for providing quality, and they are asked to give a little too. 

Priscilla: Having an academic background definitely comes in handy in this line of work. As a history graduate student, I learned how to write very effectively for different audiences, how to research topics thoroughly, how to work well independently, and how to manage different deadlines and priorities. I also taught diverse student populations throughout my teaching career, so I learned how to work with different personality types and people with different ways of communicating. All of these skills are incredibly relevant to nonprofit development work. Whether it is communicating with donors from all over the country, researching funding opportunities, crafting promotional material, or writing a grant, having an academic historical foundation has been an asset to me in the field of nonprofit development.  

Let’s give a warm welcome to Priscilla Flores (you’ll be hearing more from her in the weeks to come!), and a huge thank you to Matt Bunge for his years of service to the Dancing Rabbit nonprofit and community. You can read Priscilla's bio, as well as those of the other non-profit staff, here.