At TWB Fundraising, supporting young professionals has always been part of who we are. One of TWB's founders, Clyde Watkins, helped create that tradition by bringing together a group of emerging fundraisers through what was known as “Clyde’s Club.” That early effort grew into today’s Development Leadership Consortium, which still helps young professionals build relationships and grow in the field. Hannah’s story is a fitting example of that legacy in action, as she now continues her own professional journey as she graduates from the Development Leadership Consortium.
"It's actually pretty hard to break into the industry," Hannah Trezise says when reflecting on her early career. Now a Senior Grants and Stewardship Coordinator at Erie Family Health Centers with four years of experience, Hannah's path into nonprofit development wasn't straightforward—but it offers valuable lessons for other young professionals looking to make their mark in mission-driven work.
Hannah's nonprofit experience began during her senior year at Michigan State University. While pursuing dual degrees in Comparative Cultures & Politics and Professional Writing, she enrolled in an interdisciplinary class that involved running an actual nonprofit organization.
The professor had a nonprofit initiative called "Snares to Wares", and he brought in students from the packaging program, environmental programs, and people with a range of other skills, Hannah says. She was assigned to what her professor called the "sustainability team," which turned out to be nonprofit development and fundraising.
Through this, Hannah gained hands-on experience. The team ran events, did grant writing, and reached out to different folks in the university network. They also went around campus on Saint Patrick's Day collecting cans as a fundraising effort, she says. "From that point on, I was really invested in the fundraising aspect, so I've looked at that as a way to get into mission-based work."
This early exposure through the Snares to Wares initiative, combined with her leadership roles in marching band and her music fraternity Kappa Kappa Psi, gave Hannah practical experience in mission-based work—even if she didn't realize it at the time.
Despite her passion for nonprofit work, Hannah faced the common challenge many new graduates encounter: a lack of formal professional experience. "I was looking for jobs for a while and ended up settling in a customer service position," she explains.
While not technically nonprofit work, the role aligned with her values. "We were supporting folks who had their medical equipment damaged by airlines... And for me, that was really inspiring because you want to help people."
Hannah's entry into professional nonprofit work came through a combination of initiative and networking. After leaving her customer service role during the pandemic, she took a grant writing course.
"I love writing, so I posted about it [on LinkedIn], and you [Don Souhrada] had reached out after that," Hannah explains.
Her advice for young professionals is clear: "I think it is imperative for young professionals looking to break into nonprofit work to network."
Even as someone who describes herself as "a little bit introverted at heart," Hannah pushed herself to be visible. "I was like, no, I have this LinkedIn space. I know I can use that to my advantage. Let's show that I am making an effort and work with the network that I have."
Through her networking efforts, Hannah landed contract work with Women Unite!, a nonprofit consulting organization, while simultaneously building her skills. This experience proved invaluable when she applied for her position at Erie Family Health Centers.
"When I was interviewing for Erie, it was nice to have some grant writing experience because I had been working with Women Unite. The stuff that I would be seeing once I joined Erie was not completely foreign."
Once at Erie, Hannah approached her role strategically. "For the first year or so, I really focused on the parameters of the job description that I was hired into, and really excelling at that," she explains. She also prioritized relationship-building across the organization's 14 sites.
Her progression from Grants Coordinator to Senior Grants and Stewardship Coordinator reflects her ability to identify and develop her strengths. "The reason why I've gone from grants coordinator into senior grants and stewardship coordinator has to do with the stewardship—that's the part of fundraising that I love, and that is a strength I personally learned about myself."
Hannah emphasizes how skills from seemingly unrelated experiences proved valuable. Her customer service background, leadership roles in college, and even her experience managing difficult conversations all translated well to working with grant funders.
"I did not realize how much one-on-one time you spend with grant funders," she notes. "Those skills from customer service, in terms of de-escalation and maneuvering around a conversation very sensitively and persuasively, come quite in handy when you're dealing with a funder."
For aspiring nonprofit professionals, Hannah offers several practical recommendations:
She also suggests reaching out to small nonprofit organizations that might not be able to afford a grant writer and offering volunteer services.
"You can look at your resume [as] one-dimensional. I'm like, 'well, I did customer service, so that is all I'm qualified to do.' [But] there are a lot of different skills packed into [any job] that are outside of [that job title]."
Hannah admits to underestimating the complexity of grant writing initially. "It's not just me sitting with a Word document writing stuff... There's so much people management" involved in coordinating with busy program leads and managing deadlines.
Despite concerns about nonprofit salaries, Hannah emphasizes the intangible benefits: "I largely love my job significantly more than a lot of people I know who work in corporate spaces. The amount of times I've told people 'no, I just love my job' and they're shocked."
As she prepares for the next phase of her professional development through the Development Leadership Consortium, Hannah's advice remains consistent: "Find the classes that you can, work on your network, and don't be afraid to put yourself out there."
For young professionals considering nonprofit careers, Hannah's journey demonstrates that with the right combination of passion, persistence, and strategic relationship-building, it's possible to build both a meaningful and sustainable career in the nonprofit sector.
Hannah Trezise currently serves as Senior Grants and Stewardship Coordinator at Erie Family Health Centers, where she manages grant writing and funder relationships across the organization's 14 health center locations in the Chicago area.