205: Bill Kavan, ASU Foundation
from RAISE Podcast
On this episode of the RAISE Podcast, Brent hosts Bill Kavan, Vice President of Engagement and Outreach at the Arizona State University Foundation. Bill traces his journey from a ten-year-old in Westhampton Beach, New York, pulling a lawnmower behind his bike, to an Arizona State University student looking for community on a campus where his first class was larger than his entire high school. He shares how a landscaping business, a father who would only cover “Converse money” for sneakers, and an elderly client who became a close friend shaped his work ethic, generosity, and early interest in business and investing. At ASU, Bill found his footing in the Greek system, becoming deeply involved in philanthropy, leadership, and eventually serving as fraternity man of the year. A year on the road as a chapter adviser, including a fraternity event at the White House, exposed him to alumni, networking, and the power of people giving to support others they may never meet. From there, Bill moved into entry-level fundraising at the National MS Society, then into higher-ed advancement software and implementation work for campuses ranging from community colleges to Cornell and SMU. Today, at ASU, he leads teams focused on annual giving, donor relations and engagement, digital donor engagement, scholarship advancement, and leadership annual giving, all with an eye toward engagement at scale for a six-hundred-thousand-strong alumni community.
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What this episode covers
On this episode of the RAISE Podcast, Brent hosts Bill Kavan, Vice President of Engagement and Outreach at the Arizona State University Foundation. Bill shares how a childhood landscaping business, fraternity leadership, early nonprofit work, and years in advancement software led him back to ASU, where he now oversees engagement and outreach efforts focused on data-driven, large-scale donor and alumni connection.
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