Jill Kane has served on the Seminary Relations team as director of the Sustaining Fund and alumni relations for about a year. We caught up with Jill to learn more about her work with donors, how alumni are staying engaged with Luther, and her path to a career in philanthropy.
Where did you grow up and what first got you interested in philanthropy and church-related work?
I grew up in Mendota Heights, Minn., in a small family, with parents and grandparents that also came from smaller families. My parents met in high school and lived their entire lives not more than two miles from where they were raised. My sister and I grew up living in the same house, and if you’ve been on Zoom call with me, you likely know that my husband and I bought that house in 2020 … a bit of a “Covid made us do it” decision, but so far, it’s working out!
My mom was the reason that I became familiar with the church. Her parents were Lutheran, but they didn’t have a strong connection to a church, so mom took it upon herself to go Sunday school with her friends at a Methodist church in their neighborhood. This was the start of her 80 years of faithful worship and service to that congregation, its community, and the global Methodist church. My dad’s connection to church was complicated, but he supported mom’s expectation that my sister and I would attend regularly, learn about God and Jesus, and be an active part of church life.
Stepping into a career in philanthropy and fundraising definitely is an outcome of growing up in the church. Serving as a volunteer and seeing my parents make charitable gifts to the church stuck with me into adulthood. Over breaks during college and the summer after graduation, I worked as a personal care assistant for St. David’s’ Center, a local family services nonprofit. I had the privilege of assisting three young women and their families with activities of daily living, educational goals, and just having fun in their communities. An assistant position opened on the St. David’s development team, I applied, and they took a chance on a recent graduate to lead volunteers and logistics for their annual silent and live auction event. Since then, I’ve had the pleasure of connecting donors to what they care about, be it healthcare, education, or public media. This is a great profession, filled with colleagues that support each other and missions that touch hearts.
What were you doing professionally before you came to Luther Seminary?
I was the director of donor relations for Presbyterian Homes & Services, an older adult housing and care nonprofit serving Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin. I worked at PHS for eleven years, a period of time that included the death of my parents, (re)meeting and marrying my husband, Chip, and the pandemic. The interesting thing about PHS and many of its nonprofit peers is that residents—who are paying monthly rent and fees—are also making charitable gifts to enrich the living community for their neighbors and employees. Over those years, I saw how making charitable gifts, no matter the size, became an active part of residents’ wellbeing. It’s a way for them to feel purposeful, especially as they experience diminishing of other abilities. My role focused on donor communication, providing education about estate giving, appreciation events, and appeal production. Every appeal that I produced reinforced to me that it was an invitation – not a coercion – to make a gift that was personally meaningful to them.
How does the Sustaining Fund work and why is it important?
Think of the Sustaining Fund as the money in your checking account that helps you pay for running your life. Setting aside charitable gifts for scholarships for a moment, gifts to the Sustaining Fund allows Luther Seminary to operate—to employ faculty and staff, to have physical and virtual spaces for learning and coming together as a community, and the ability to innovate for the church. Every one of us benefits from the generosity of donors that make gifts to the Sustaining Fund. Every gift makes a difference, adding together over a fiscal year, to allow us to serve our mission as the Luther community. Our annual Give Day in September is just one of the times during the year when the Sustaining Fund team invites the Luther community to make a gift to the fund. Thank you for considering the invitation to give, and if you feel called to contribute, for making a gift! The entire community thanks you.
What is the most exciting thing happening in alumni relations at the moment?
Thank you to everyone who is coming alongside Seminary Relations to stay connected with alumni. I’ve been here for a year and have witnessed first-hand that it takes a village to support alumni relations. I’m grateful for you! It’s definitely worth celebrating that connecting with alumni is happening across Luther departments. This excites me because it probably mirrors their student experience of Luther. Alumni are serving as champions of the Luther experience for Admissions. They continue their education through Faith+Lead offerings and share about Faith+Lead with their ministry communities. They attend the Festival of Homiletics. They stay in touch with faculty, staff, and each other. They are sharing God’s word as writers for God Pause and the Advent and Lenten devotionals. They make charitable gifts to support the future of Luther’s service to the church. I’m excited to continue partnering across departments to share opportunities with alumni and find opportunities for them to plug into the Luther of today.