Des Moines, Iowa –March 31, 2020 –Make-A-Wish®Iowa is proud to announce Chelsea Koenig as Director of Development for the organization, effective Monday March 30, 2020. Koenig will develop and implement strategic initiatives focused on maintaining and growing diversified revenue streams including major gift initiatives,individual giving, foundations and corporate giving, while also strengthening the organization’s planned giving program. Koenig will primarily concentrate her stewardship efforts in central Iowa, while secondarily aiming to grow organizational reach and impact throughout the western side of the state.
She joins the Make-A-Wish Iowa team from The Lifespace Foundation, where she spent four years growing their annual giving campaign across eight states. Koenig also managed their constituent management system, creating marketing content, while also maintaining the organization’s website and online presence. Prior to The Lifespace Foundation, Koenig established her work at Drake University in the Office of University Advancement.
Chelsea holds not only a strong passion for fundraising, but also for Make-A-Wish Iowa, as a former staff person. Earning her B.A. from UNI, and her M.P.A., with an emphasis in Executive Leadership Development,from Drake University, she also has earned non-profit certifications from Indiana University and the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance.
“I believe Chelsea will be an excellent addition to our already incredible team,”said Jennifer Woodley, Make-A-Wish Iowa President and CEO. “Chelsea brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our organization, andI am thrilled to have her added mission-focused passion to continue our efforts in granting the wishes of children in Iowa with critical illnesses.”
###
About Make-A-Wish Iowa: Make-A-Wish®Iowa creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. We seek to bring every eligible child's wish to life because a wish is an integral part of a child's treatment journey. Research shows children who have wishes granted can build the physical and emotional strength they need to fight their illness. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Make-A-Wish is the world’s leading children’s wish-granting organization, serving children in every community in the United States and more than 50 countries worldwide. Together, generous donors, supporters, staff and more than 34,000 volunteers across the U.S., grant a wish every 33 minutes, on average, somewhere in the country. Since 1980, Make-A-Wish has granted more than 330,000 wishes to children in theU.S. and its territories; more than 15,800 in 2019 alone. For more information about Make-A-Wish Iowa, visit iowa.wish.org.