It’s Pride Month and this week’s #WomanCrushWednesday goes out to the founder of the fundraising event consultancy Swaim Strategies, and a nonprofit advocate with two decades of 
fundraising and event planning experience, Samantha Swaim.
Samantha travels the world sharing her knowledge and experience with nonprofits. Closer to home, she hosts an annual fundraising event conference called “Elevate,” helping nonprofits find ways to elevate their events and maximize their impact. She, in turn, credits the Swaim Strategies team with helping her learn and grow – especially her wife and Swaim’s co-owner, Kristin Steele – whom Samantha calls the brains behind everything the company does! Samantha admires the way her staff members show up every day, offering their hearts and souls to good causes. When people show up, interested in discovery and ready to learn, Samantha is inspired to reflect that attitude back. She believes true heroes are the ones doing everyday acts of kindness – there’s a lot of need in the world and a lot of work to be done. Samantha truly believes that by lifting others, she too will rise – you know that old saying, “A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats.” No wonder she’s drawn to water – she says her best ideas come when she’s on her stand-up paddle board, or floating in lakes and rivers. Perhaps there’s science behind it, since our bodies are mostly water, but Samantha prefers to believe in the magic of it! She finds balance, can think clearer and breathe deeper when she’s near water.
Samantha hates the idea of women being encouraged to step aside and apologize for their ideas, their passion or their leadership. She strongly believes women are born leaders and that when we work collaboratively, we’re able to make the change we want to see in the world.
She’s a published author – she co-wrote “Planning a Successful Major Donor Event.”
Samantha has a theatre background – she studied Theatre Management at the University of San Diego and post-college, she ran her own theatre company in Los Angeles. She was once a production manager for The Grammy Awards!
#WCW #Pride #WomenInBiz #BeTheChange #ChangeMakers #MakeADifference #DoGoodBeGood
