Sarah Traisman

Sarah will serve as the VP, Head of Philanthropy Operations and will oversee the strategy, execution, and evaluation of our philanthropic activities, ensuring the organization has the resources to support and sustain our ambitious revenue goals. Sarah will work closely with the executive team and key stakeholders to develop, execute, and optimize fundraising efforts. With over 15 years of experience in fundraising operations, she has a proven track record of optimizing processes, systems, and data for non-profit organizations.

Reporting to and working closely with Michele Golombuski, Sarah will develop, execute, and optimize fundraising efforts. She will ensure streamlined workflows, drive data-driven decision-making, and foster a culture of operational excellence within the philanthropy team. Sarah aims to create operational infrastructure to support record-breaking fundraising and engagement success to raise critical funds for Angelman syndrome research.

Prior to joining FAST, Sarah spent nearly 6 years at the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF), the world’s largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson’s research. Sarah served as Director of Fundraising Operations, throughout her tenure overseeing sixteen professionals and building a successful fundraising operations department.

Prior to joining MJFF, Sarah spent 10 years at Smithbucklin, the largest professional services company serving non-profits and industry associations. She managed three international business trade associations and led the company’s new business development strategy. During her tenure at Smithbucklin, Sarah became fascinated with the structural similarities between non-profit associations and charitable organizations. She utilized her professional experience to volunteer for dozens of non-profit organizations and boards.

Sarah holds a BA in English and Psychology with a concentration in Creative Writing from the University of Iowa. In 2013 Sarah was named the youngest recipient of the Forty Under 40® award from the Association Forum & USAe Magazine honoring non-profit professionals.

A Message from Sarah:

I am honored to join FAST as the VP, Head of Philanthropy Operations. I am deeply fascinated by the opportunity to streamline processes that will allow us to achieve our objectives more quickly and effectively, and I believe my experience can help drive that progress. I am passionate about mission driven work and the leadership, staff, families, and supporters of FAST inspire me every day. I am committed to making a meaningful impact and advancing our mission every step of the way.

How will you support FAST’s mission:

Philanthropy Operations are integral to a successful fundraising strategy. My goal is to design and implement a strategic, comprehensive plan that aligns with FAST's mission and growth objectives. Scalability and sustainability are at the heart of my approach as an operations leader, and I aim to bring this perspective to FAST as I build a robust fundraising operations function. By doing so, I am committed to advancing the organization’s mission and making a lasting impact on the Angelman syndrome community

Fun Facts:

1. I live in the Chicagoland area with my two children, Penny & Howard, and my husband Ben.

2. I wrote and self-published a Children’s book, my daughter was my illustrator!

3. I am a director on the board of our community’s local zoo