Monica Peterson, MLD, CFRM
Monica R. Peterson currently serves as employer consultant for Ivy Tech Community College, Indianapolis Campus. Although her primary focus is to collaborate with employer who want to “skill up,” their workforce (with non-credit training), she is also relies on her fundraising and development background to build mutually beneficial relationships. Before her current role she served as the director of philanthropy for the Ivy Tech Foundation. Her primary role was to seek support for the Foundation’s signature campus-wide events, mentor/support the efforts of the development directors at four of Ivy Tech’s 19 campuses and serve as the primary editor/coordinator for the Foundation’s planned giving newsletter. She also raised support during the Foundation’s first and most recent (2020-2023) comprehensive campaign, which exceeded its $285M goal to $340M.
Monica regularly consults non-profits organizations on board development, capacity building, facilitation, fundraising, grant proposal writing, development/management, and volunteerism. She has been an adjunct faculty member at The Fund-Raising School, for over 15 years and teaches the Principles and Techniques of Fundraising, Proposal Writing and Grants Management, and the Fundraising Campaigns courses.
Before her tenure with the Ivy Tech College/Foundation, Monica served as a philanthropic (Donor Services) advisor with the Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF) managing donor funds for individuals from $25,000 to $10M+; director of foundation relations at Ball State University, where she raised foundation support during the Ball State BOLD comprehensive campaign; and as a community development manager at the Indiana Arts Commission (IAC) where she worked with CICF to establish the Indiana Arts Endowment and the primary fundraising coordinator for the Indiana Governor’s Arts Awards. She also served as a proposal development manager with the Center on Philanthropy and participated in the “Explore IUPUI” comprehensive campaign. This enhanced her work at Ball State University, CICF, and Ivy Tech as she collaborated with donors on a local and national level to seek support for important initiatives.
On a national level, she volunteers with the American Red Cross as a master trainer and was an inaugural member of Women of Color in Fundraising and Philanthropy. She also served as a grant proposal review panelist for the Indiana Arts Commission and grant proposal review panelist for the Case Foundation’s “Make it Your Own Awards (2009).”
Monica holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Butler University and a Master of Arts in Leadership Development from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. She also holds training and consulting certifications from the American Red Cross and Ball State University; a fundraising management certification from The Fund-Raising School-The Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.