Season 4 Episode 7: Embracing A Builder's Mindset with Parkinson's Foundation's Kayln Henkel

Parkinson’s Foundation’s Kayln Henkel joins the podcast to discuss what it takes to embrace a growth mindset when scaling P2P programs in rapidly growing organizations.

There’s a fundamental difference between inheriting a well-oiled P2P machine and building one from scratch. When you’re tasked with creating systems, culture and infrastructure that need to scale alongside explosive organizational growth, you’re not just managing programs – you’re architecting the future.

But here’s what most people don’t realize: the “builder’s mindset” isn’t just about launching new initiatives. It’s about thinking three steps ahead while solving today’s problems. It’s about maintaining the heart and soul of grassroots programs while constructing the professional backbone they need to thrive at scale.

In this episode, Marcie Maxwell talks with Kayln Henkel, Chief Advancement Officer at the Parkinson’s Foundation, who’s made her career out of building sustainable fundraising programs from the ground up. As employee #44 at the Parkinson’s Foundation, Kayln has had a front-row seat to the unique challenges that come with rapid growth – scaling from three walk events to 50+, navigating mergers, launching new program formats and preparing leadership for the kind of transformation that changes everything.

Together, we’ll explore:

– Strategic staffing evolution and emerging P2P roles
– Preparing leadership for growth through change management and ROI demonstration
– Maintaining program culture while building scalable infrastructure

Mentioned Links
parkinson.org
movingdaywalk.org
parkinsonsrevolution.org

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Podcast Guest

Kayln Henkel brings over 20 years of experience in the non-profit sector, specializing in fundraising, field management, major/individual gifts and strategic planning. Throughout her career, she has worked with mostly mid-sized organizations, helping them build sustainable fundraising programs and drive impactful donor engagement. Kayln has a proven track record of building and developing new fundraising streams including standing up 2 nationwide P2P programs, creating a chapter network and successfully launching a $30M major gift campaign. Her expertise spans across all facets of development, from identifying new revenue streams to building and leading robust teams to exceed fundraising goals. Kayln is passionate about building community through volunteers, donors and staff to expand an organization and ultimately elevate its mission. She has demonstrated a strong ability to navigate complex challenges, build collaborative partnerships, and inspire teams to achieve excellence in fundraising and organizational development.

Podcast Host

Marcie Maxwell is the Managing Director of the Peer-to-Peer Professional Forum. Marcie joined the P2PPF team in 2021 after 15+ years as a front-line fundraiser, national events & campaign director and fundraising consultant. In her role, Marcie serves as a primary thought leader and community builder for the peer-to-peer fundraising industry. She started her career in fundraising with 10+ years at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where she ran local fundraising events, managed national volunteer partnerships and launched their national walk program. She then spent 5+ years as the Director of Chapter Fundraising Events with Make-A-Wish America, where she provided strategy, support & training to 60 chapters on the full event portfolio – walks, school fundraising, an endurance hiking program and galas & social events. In her most recent role at Charity Dynamics, she partnered with clients to provide strategic guidance and analysis to help them optimize and grow their peer-to-peer fundraising events & campaigns. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication from Louisiana State University and a master’s degree in Ethical Leadership from Christian Brothers University. She resides in Memphis, TN.