Jesse Edwin Evans

About Jesse Edwin Evans

I serve as the top advancement officer at Lan Su Chinese Garden, leading contributed revenue strategy across major gifts, annual giving, membership, sponsorship, grants, planned giving, and campaign readiness. My work sits at the intersection of fundraising, institutional strategy, and board partnership. I work closely with executive leadership and trustees to strengthen revenue, deepen donor relationships, and build the systems, discipline, and momentum required for long-term growth. In the past year, I have helped drive significant year-over-year growth across contributed revenue, membership, and leadership giving while closing both six-figure and seven-figure commitments. I have also led campaign readiness work tied to Lan Su’s planned expansion, with a focus on governance alignment, donor qualification, fundraising infrastructure, and executive-level strategy. Before nonprofit leadership, I founded and grew a Chicago brewery, raising $1.5 million in capital and scaling the business to $2.5 million in annual sales. That experience shaped how I lead today. I think in terms of revenue systems, institutional risk, and what it takes to move people from interest to commitment. My strongest work is in environments that require judgment, campaign discipline, executive partnership, and the ability to build durable fundraising engines.

Experience

1. Director of Philanthropy

   Lan Su Chinese Garden

   Sep 2024 — Present · Portland, OR, US

   Top advancement officer for a cultural institution, responsible for contributed revenue strategy across major gifts, annual giving, membership, sponsorship, grants, planned giving, and campaign readiness. Senior fundraising partner to the Executive Director and Board on donor strategy, leadership giving, and long-range revenue planning- Lead institution-wide contributed revenue strategy across individual giving, membership, sponsorship, grants, and leadership annual giving- Helped drive approximately 40 percent year-over-year growth in contributed revenue- Closed six-figure and seven-figure commitments while strengthening the major donor pipeline and leadership giving strategy- Advanced campaign readiness for a planned expansion initiative of approximately $35 million, including governance alignment, donor qualification, consultant coordination, and fundraising infrastructure planning- Strengthened membership as a fundraising and relationship pathway, contributing to approximately 28 percent growth in membership revenue- Expanded Scholar Society participation by approximately 45 percent through stronger leadership giving strategy and stewardship- Rebuilt corporate sponsorship strategy after a long dormant period and created a stronger year-round sponsorship framework tied to institutional priorities and flagship programming- Partner with executive leadership and trustees on fundraising strategy, donor engagement, stewardship planning, and institutional messaging- Built stronger advancement systems and reporting discipline to improve pipeline visibility, donor strategy, and long-term fundraising capacity.

Education

• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

  B.A., News/Editorial Journalism

• Boston University

  Certficate, Professional Fundraising

Skills

• Online Marketing
• Strategic Planning
• Retail
• Small Business
• Strategic Communications
• Social Media Marketing
• Copywriting
• Web Design
• Social Media
• Market Research
• Editing
• Event Management
• New Business Development
• Craft Beer
• Leadership
• Advertising
• Brewing
• Wine
• Email Marketing
• Politics
• Beer
• Brand Management
• Fundraising
• Marketing Strategy
• Blogging
• Marketing
• Start-Ups
• Creative Direction
• Winemaking
• Digital Media
• Public Relations
• Media Relations
• Event Planning
• Strategy
• Photography
• Brand Development
• Entrepreneurship
• Nonprofits
• Management
• Team Building