Honoring a Member for Outstanding Achievements in Fundraising
Members of the Direct Marketing Fundraisers Association (DMFA) community are unique. They are dedicated professionals who help non-profit fundraising organizations grow their member base, donor contributions and revenue to provide the essential resources for organizations to fulfill their missions. Too often the scale of these efforts is under-appreciated. That’s why in 2002, the DMFA created the Marketer of the Year Award as a way to honor a member with outstanding achievements in fundraising.
The Marketer of the Year will be honored at our upcoming Year-End Luncheon, presented with a special plaque, acknowledged in the DMFA newsletter, and spotlighted on the DMFA website throughout the year.
The nomination applications for the 2025 Marketer of the Year are now closed.
Please note that only nominations by members for members will be considered for this honor. If you are not a member, you can join today.
Important Guidelines:
Current DMFA Board members are not eligible for the award.
Nominees must be a current DMFA member with membership established at least one year prior to the nomination.
Only current DMFA members may submit a nomination.
Each DMFA member is allowed to submit one nomination per year.
2025 winner
John Perell
Director of Strategy and Member Experience
Smithsonian Institution
John Perell has more than 26 years of experience in nonprofit fundraising and has served at the Smithsonian since 2013 as Director of Strategy and Member Experience and Director of Friends of the Smithsonian—the Institution’s largest membership program. In these roles, he collaborates across the organization to expand and engage a national base of philanthropic supporters and partners with major and planned giving teams to strengthen donor relationships.
Before joining the Smithsonian, John worked on both the agency and nonprofit sides, developing strategies to increase engagement, membership, donor support, and overall philanthropy. He currently serves on the board of the American Museum Membership Conference and has previously served on the boards of the Direct Marketing Fundraisers Association and the International Museum Membership Conference.
Hall of Marketers
2024 Karin Kirchoff, K2D Strategies
2023 Alicia Meulensteen, ACLU
2022 Amy Sukol, Lautman Maska Neill & Company
2021 Steve Froehlich, ALSAC St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
2020 Allison Porter, Avalon Consulting Group
2019 Jill Burkhardt, North Shore Animal League America
2018 Stephanie Ceruolo, Infogroup Nonprofit Solutions
2017 Harry Lynch, Sanky Communications
2016 Gina VanderLoop, ROI Solutions
2015 Kim Beckwith Walker, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
2014 Dennis Lonergan, Eidolon Communications
2013 Amy Tripi, President, Tripi Consulting
2012 Lynn Edmonds, LW Robbins
2011 Lisa Maska, Lautman Maska Neill & Company
2010 Linda Ferruzzi, May Development Services
2008-2009 Giselle Holloway, International Rescue Committee
2007 Jo Sullivan, ASPCA
2006 Ed Mills, Consumers Union
2005 Joan H. Smyth Dengler, Covenant House
2004 Larry May, May Development Services
2003 Judith A. Maneval, Sanky Communications
2002 Kay Partney Lautman, CFRE, Lautman & Company
