Jim Vanheest

Experience

1. Senior Regional Development Director

   Hope College

   Jul 1987 — Present · Holland, MI, US

   Development and Engagement at Hope College involves developing and sustaining relationships with Alumni, Parents and Friends – particularly those willing and able to help advance the mission and vision of Hope College. Helping includes financial resources, volunteer energy, networking and advocacy. Hope College is blessed with many who care deeply about its present success and future strength.In 31 years of representing Hope College in the United States, I have the privilege of serving several hundred households that make a big difference for Hope. Serving requires awareness, affirmation, attention, listening and, often, just being there. Relationships well-serviced yield resonance, helpful ideas and connections, and eager volunteerism. They also yield significant financial support for Hope College, often shared sacrificially. This support is expressed through the faithfulness of annual giving, the elevated horizons of endowment and capital giving, and estate legacies honoring lifetime relationships with a special place we call “Hope.”More recently, I have been given the added responsibility and privilege of representing Hope in the international arena, focusing primarily on Eastern Asia and Northern Europe. In areas not well-cultivated in the past, the opportunities are similar and early yields are encouraging. More attention is given to locating people we have lost, developing understanding and familiarity, linking overseas friends with each other, and assessing the capacity and readiness for individual leadership in volunteerism and financial giving. Hope Alumni and Friends are making a huge impact on the communities they serve, wherever they have been called. Those living and working outside the United States are also poised to make greater contributions, of every expression, to Hope College.

Education

• Hope College

  Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Political Science and Government

  1974 — 1980

Skills

• Editing
• Teaching
• Volunteer Management
• Grant Writing
• Leadership
• Program Development
• Annual Giving
• Nonprofit Organizations
• Social Media
• Public Speaking
• Research
• Fundraising
• Event Planning
• Community Outreach
• Nonprofits
• Higher Education