2022 40 Under 40 Winners

Alisha’s direct annual giving activity brought in more than $458,000 in FY22. 

She was instrumental in raising more than $350,000 in in-kind contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic by partnering with numerous local organizations and companies for crucial PPE supplies.

Alisha first earned her CFRE certification in 2019 and renewed it in 2022.

She is a graduate of the Leadership Santa Maria Valley program for future community leaders, as well as the AHP Madison Institute’s 2022 Annual Giving track.

During my four years at Antioch University Santa Barbara, my involvement in Institutional Advancement increased along with my knowledge of fundraising and experience in Blackbaud's Raiser's Edge software. What started as an interest quickly became a passion for learning everything I could about Raiser's Edge, driven by need and the challenge of becoming highly proficient in this software. After several life events, I pursued the opportunity to continue my philanthropy journey by joining the Marian Regional Medical Center Foundation.

My passion for what I do in healthcare philanthropy drives me, specifically the endless opportunities to be innovative and continuously challenge myself to use data to drive decision-making and strategy. It touches my heart that my successes can benefit our hospital and the community it serves. Often I am blessed with the learning of stories from grateful patients about how their life was saved or forever changed by our hospital. These stories remind me of the importance and impact my work has.

A pivot point in my career was accepting the Annual Gifts Coordinator position with my current organization, which has allowed me to dedicate more time to bringing innovation, efficiency, and strategy to our fundraising efforts at the annual giving level. A strong driver in getting there was that I had a boss with very high expectations, aspirations, and attention to detail. Over time this active influence and expectation expanded my mindset and thinking and pushed me to strive for a higher level of perfection and growth.

I love to help people. I was raised on a ranch in Santa Ynez, CA, in a small community and actively participated in 4-H, FFA, and many other community-based organizations. Alongside my love for horses and competitively showing them, I developed a deep desire to make a difference and help people, which is why working for a not-for-profit organization that is noticeably making a difference in my community is highly fulfilling and gratifying. 

I advise familiarizing yourself with the hospital's leadership, employees, patients, and the surrounding community it supports. Your biggest partners and advocates are all around you. Be patient and persistent - developing meaningful relationships with donors takes time. Be flexible - it is not always easy and in challenging times, call upon why you do what you do. Strive to uncover what truly inspires you in your work and the impact you can have on your hospital and community. In closing, I recommend learning as much as you can as often as possible - knowledge is key.