Marc Vigliotti

Please describe your current job duties:

I focus on fundraising from donors who are considering leaving money to Save the Children in their wills. This is a fast growing part of fundraising, especially as the baby boomer generation begins to consider estate planning. In doing this work, part of my job is getting the opportunity to meet with people face-to-face across the country to discuss their giving. The type of people I get to meet are gracious and giving by nature, so getting to meet these donors is a part of my job that I really enjoy.

How did Wagner prepare you for your current position?

My graduate thesis was a stakeholder survey; at the time, I was working in the environmental sector. While Save the Children is working on some of the same issues––particularly the effects of climate change on vulnerable populations––it is a humanitarian organization working in 120 countries, so the sector and scope of our work is quite different. But, the working of engaging stakeholders is largely the same no matter the mission. Having the skills to work with people in all different parts of an organization, both internal and external, has been very helpful. 

Wagner helped me become a well-rounded, interdisciplinary person. For instance, I often find myself in meetings with the finance team following by a meeting with the digital marketing team. It’s all about engaging both sides of your brain, and understanding that as your responsibilities increase, you’ll need to interface with many different parts of an organization.

What was one class you took at Wagner that really stands out to you?

Politics of Internal Development and Conflict Management and Negotiation come to mind as two favorites. But what really stood out to me as it was a bit surprising was the financial management course. I was an EMPA student with a leadership specialization, not on the financial track at all, but that class was very helpful to me. As your responsibilities increase and you rise within an organization, having an understanding of financial management is extremely important, particularly for people managing both a budget and revenue.