This article was originally published in The Notebook. In August 2020, The Notebook became Chalkbeat Philadelphia.
The Notebook has hired a new development director, Lauren Wiley. Wiley, a fundraising professional who is a former journalist, mother of two, and parent in the Philadelphia public school system, joined the Notebook staff in October.
Wiley has more than 10 years experience in fundraising, donor cultivation and management, and event planning, most of that for the American Diabetes Association, where she served as the first regional communications manager in New England. She later transferred to ADA’s Northeastern Pennsylvania market, where she built volunteer committees for local walks, created media plans and partnerships, and developed a deep, solid sponsorship base.
More recently, she was the first-ever development director at Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute in Wayne, a professional laboratory science organization. There, she secured new government grants and successfully recruited corporate sponsors for the institute’s conferences and educational seminars.
Wiley’s new responsibilities will include membership recruitment and management, as well as sponsorship and major donor solicitation. She will also coordinate special events, including the Notebook’s annual Turning the Page for Change celebration in June.
Wiley has degrees in journalism and political science. She volunteers as the treasurer for the nonprofit group Friends of J.S. Jenks School in Chestnut Hill, which raises funds to support school programming and infrastructure.
The Notebook says farewell to Tim Cravens, who served as development director for two years. The Notebook thanks him for his hard work and dedication to the organization and wishes him well in future endeavors.
High School Fair
The Notebook participated in the annual Philadelphia High School Fair held in October. This year it was presented by Philadelphia School Partnership’s Great Philly Schools project and the School District of Philadelphia. The fair, aimed at 7th and 8th graders as well as high school students looking to transfer schools, attracted thousands of students and parents to the Armory at Drexel University.
The Notebook staffed a table at the fair, handing out over 3,000 copies of the Fall Guide to High Schools and introducing the news organization to parents and students. Those who stopped at the table spoke of how much they rely on the Notebook’s coverage of public schools and the fall guide, which contains information about the city’s 90 public high school options and includes a data spread to help readers compare schools. Copies of the fall guide are still available by calling the Notebook office at 215-839-0082.
More than 140 people signed up for the Notebook’s email newsletter at the fair.
Member appreciation day
On Dec. 3, the Notebook will thank its members for their financial support with a member appreciation reception. This member-only event will feature Elizabeth Green, co-founder, CEO, and editor-in-chief of Chalkbeat. Green, the author of Building a Better Teacher, a recently published book that explores teaching as a craft and how complicated the profession can be, will talk with members about her work and education in Philadelphia.
The event will be held at the Notebook office in Center City. The Notebook encourages you to become a member so that you can take part in this special event.
Calling all interns
The Notebook continues to welcome interns. The winter cycle of the internship program starts in January. Each season the Notebook takes on interns in the areas of editorial, marketing, fundraising, advertising, and the web. If you are interested in an internship, go here.