NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - Jul 25, 2011) - Media Ventures Group, a marketing company with expertise in media, sports, entertainment, cause marketing and non-profit fundraising, has hired Kristen Kirst, who has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for grassroots, national and global efforts during a 15-year career.
Kirst, who relocated to New York from Seattle, is SVP, Client Services and Strategy, a new position at Media Ventures Group.
Most recently, she was Director of Development for Medical Teams International, which supplies aid to victims of disaster, conflict and poverty and receives $210 million in contributions and donations annually.
Kirst's leadership roles have spanned several areas of the private and public sector including international relations and development, education, health service and civic advocacy. Her expertise and skills were honed at organizations such as St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Texas Christian University, and Eastside Catholic School in Seattle, and through corporate partnerships on behalf of those organizations with Coors Brewing Company, Buffalo Wild Wings, Roadway International and Clear Channel.
While with St. Jude, Kirst worked on two national philanthropy partnerships with Coors -- the Coors Halloween Pin-Up Promotion and the successful launch of the innovative national collegiate fundraiser Up 'til Dawn. She was also responsible for launching a Seattle office for St. Jude which supported all fundraising and volunteer efforts in more than seven Western States.
As Director of Major Gifts for Eastside Catholic School in Seattle, she led the first capital campaign in the school's history and raised $42 million in private donations. The four-year $100 million project enabled the building of a state-of-the-art private school for grades six-12.
In January 2011, Kirst joined the board of the Sigma Kappa Foundation, which supports education and leadership programs for women and raises funds for Alzheimer's disease research. From 2007 until this year, she was a board member of the Fulcrum Foundation, which promotes Catholic-school education through aid and scholarships to disadvantaged families in the Archdiocese of Seattle. She also founded Amici, the "junior" board of the Fulcrum Foundation. Its mission is to bring young professionals into the cause of Catholic-school education development and support.
"Kristen has driven cause-marketing campaigns, strategic partnerships, and fund development strategies for so many respected charitable organizations," said Richard Yaffa, founder and CEO of Media Ventures Group. "Her impressive track record in monetizing communities and her understanding of the development process will be very valuable to our clients."
Kirst said, "Joining Media Ventures Group provides an opportunity to work with a team of professionals from various backgrounds to use our heads and our hearts in helping corporations, brands and non-profit organizations find ways to collaborate for the benefit of the community and our world over-all. I was inspired by the model Rich put together for the company and firmly believe our work will have an unprecedented impact on fundraising and how cause marketing affects society."
Kirst received her undergraduate degree from the University of Arizona and her graduate degree from Texas Christian University.
About Media Ventures Group
Media Ventures Group (www.mediaventuresgroup.com) specializes in driving revenue and business growth for clients, with industry expertise in media, sports, entertainment, cause marketing and non-profit fundraising. Media Ventures Group achieves these results by building and monetizing communities through unique strategic approaches and proprietary media platforms.
Contact Information:
Contact:
Kathleen Sampey
DiGennaro Communications
(212) 966-9525
kathy@digennarony.com
