Amanda Schafer

Amanda Schafer has a diverse range of work experience in various leadership and management roles. Amanda'smost recent position is as the Associate Vice President for Advancement at Alma College, where they are responsible for overseeing the major gifts program and providing support to gift officers. Prior to this, Amanda served as the Chief Executive and Operating Officer at the Mt. Pleasant Area Community Foundation, where they managed the foundation's operations and implemented its strategic goals. Amanda also worked at the Michigan Nonprofit Association as the Director of Evaluation, where they developed and implemented evaluation systems for various programs. Amanda has experience in the education sector as well, having served as the Associate Director at Michigan Campus Compact and as a Community Director at The George Washington University. Amanda also worked at Heidelberg University as the Assistant Director of Residence Life, where they supervised staff and facilitated community development programs. Earlier in their career, Amanda gained experience in research and marketing as a Communication and Marketing Research Intern at Northern Illinois University.

Amanda Schafer graduated from Alma College in 1999 with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Sociology, Communication, and Spanish. Amanda later pursued a Master of Arts (MA) degree in College Student Personnel at Bowling Green State University. In terms of additional certifications, they obtained the Certified Member (CM) designation from the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP Global) in 2020. In the same year, they also became a Giving Day Leader certified by GiveGab, Inc. Prior to this, they completed the Institute for Leaders program offered by the Great Lakes Bay Regional Alliance in 2019. Amanda also holds certifications such as the Rollie Denison Leadership Institute from the Mt. Pleasant Area Chamber of Commerce in 2011 and the Leadership Institute from the Michigan Nonprofit Association in 2006. In 2009, they became a Board Member for the Michigan Association for Evaluation.