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Visionary Voices

Authors & Contributors to philanthropy.org

Visionary Voices features original work from experienced fundraisers, nonprofit executives, advisors, and practitioners writing from direct responsibility.

This is a curated forum. Contributors are selected for depth of experience, operational credibility, and demonstrated results.

Visionary Voices is intentionally limited and does not publish: early-career professionals, academic commentary without applied responsibility, vendor marketing content, trend-driven opinion pieces, or personal brand publishing.

If your work has not been shaped by accountability, consequence, and execution, it does not belong here.

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Authors List

  • Gail Perry, Major Gifts Fundraising Consultant

    Gail is an internationally recognized fundraising consultant, keynote speaker, and author with over 30 years of experience. As founder and president of the Gail Perry Group, she has guided nonprofits worldwide to achieve extraordinary fundraising results through her Fired-Up Fundraising™ approach. Gail is the author of the bestselling book Fired-Up Fundraising: Turn Board Passion into Action and co-author of Capital Campaigns: Strategies That Work. She was named one of LinkedIn’s Top Voices in Philanthropy in 2020. For more information, visit gailperrygroup.com.

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  • Gary Bukowski, Director of Development, Sarah A Reed Children's Center, Erie, PA

    Gary L. Bukowski, MA, CFRE, is the associate vice president of development at Sarah A. Reed Children's Center in Erie, Pennsylvania. With over four decades of experience in institutional advancement, he has raised more than $100 million for various causes and is a founding member of the AFP Chapter of Northwestern Pennsylvania.

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  • Geoff Close

    After 40 years of experience as a seasoned Wealth Advisor, providing tailored financial guidance to individuals, families, small business owners, and non-profits, Geof continues to offer pro-bono philanthropic consulting to non-profit organizations based in Central Virginia and nationwide. He draws on his expertise in comprehensive financial planning to address tax minimization, retirement optimization, estate, and charitable planning. Geof’s approach emphasizes understanding the personal values and legacy goals of donors, offering ongoing education to help them make confident philanthropic decisions while preparing for wealth transfer to future generations.

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  • Founder and CEO, Peña Search 

    Holly Peña deeply cares about the people who have dedicated their lives to nonprofits. Her passion is part of the heart of Peña Search, which she founded in 2009 with a unique vision to serve both the mission of an organization and the careers of its employees. 

    Over a 20-year career in recruiting, Holly has a proven track record of successful, high-level placements across the United States and in Mexico. Currently, Holly leads many of the CEO-level searches while also managing and assisting team members in providing the highest possible quality of service. 

    Born and raised in the Texas Panhandle, Holly received her Bachelor of Arts from Vanderbilt University before earning her Juris Doctor from The University of Texas School of Law in 1990. She practiced law for seven years, focusing on cross-border transactions and trade. She is a graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program and the Small Business Association Emerging Leaders Program. 

    Holly’s civic and community involvement has included work with The Hockaday School and Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, membership in Leadership America, and service on the boards of directors of the Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas and Big Thought and the board of advisors of The FIRST Fund. 

    When not working, she can be found spending time with family and friends, training for a half-marathon, traveling, cooking, or reading. 

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  • Jack Alotto, MA, CFRE, is a graduate of Glassboro State College and the State University of New York at Oswego; both degrees are in Psychology. Throughout his career, Jack has served in a variety of fundraising positions in hospital, social service and the arts as executive director, development director, major gift and legacy giving manager, and foundation and corporate relations manager. Jack is a California CFRE Ambassador.  

     At the Sanford Institute of Philanthropy (SIP) at JFK University, Jack was an instructor at the Fundraising Academy.  In 2019, Jack joined as Senior Trainer the Fundraising Academy at National University.  

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  • James Langley, President of Langley Innovations

    Jim is the President of Langley Innovations and a leading expert in philanthropy and higher education advancement. With over 30 years of experience, he has led transformative campaigns, authored five books, and advised over 130 institutions. Known for innovative strategies and donor-centric approaches, his work has raised billions and reshaped fundraising practices.

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  • James Misner is the founder and owner of The Kipos Group. With over 20 years of fundraising leadership, James brings both best practice and practical advice to clients. The Kipos Group was started in 2022 as a direct response to the effects of the pandemic on fundraising programs around the country. James desires to help organizations (especially small and mid-sized ones) grow their revenue so they can scale solutions to some of the world’s most intractable problems. He has been married to his better half, Sabrina, for over 16 years. They parent three very active children in suburban Washington, D.C. When not working James spends his time with his family and driving his kids to their myriad activities. 

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  • Jay Duggan, Launch Legacy Consulting

    Jay leads Launch Legacy Consulting, which helps nonprofits secure major and planned gifts. With 30+ years spanning financial services and nonprofit fundraising, including roles at the University of Georgia, Operation Blessing, and Boys & Girls Clubs of America, he holds the Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy® designation. His firm has secured over $75.6M in gift commitments for small nonprofits new to planned giving, including $5.6M very recently across four organizations.

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  • Joe Garecht

    Joe is President of Garecht Fundraising Associates and has over 25 years of experience in fundraising and nonprofit management. He has led a $20M+ organization as Executive Director, served as VP of Development for a major educational nonprofit, and directed development at a large social service agency. Joe has consulted with hundreds of organizations, authored several books, including How to Raise More Money for Any Non-Profit and The Non-Profit Fundraising Formula, and works with clients nationwide and internationally.

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