A kinder, back-to-basics approach to donor relations amounted to a 30 percent increase in contributions for D.C.’s Heritage Foundation.

By Margaret Battistelli Gardner

“I’ve been here 15 years. Was I thrilled at having an audit? No, because I think we have a good program,” he admits. “But then again, over the past couple of years, we’ve seen how both small and significant changes in the program have resulted in a better program.

“There’s a certain comfort zone that you get into in any job,” he adds. “You just have to be willing to have it challenged.”