Season 7 Episode 3: Coaching P2P Teams to Forecast with Confidence with Arthritis Foundation's Sara Echeverri-Bentley

Arthritis Foundation's Sara Echeverri-Bentley joins the podcast to share how breaking down big fundraising goals and building staff confidence with data can drive stronger results.

Big fundraising goals can be exciting, but they can also feel overwhelming, especially when staff don’t have a clear roadmap for achieving them. The key isn’t just tracking more data. It’s helping teams understand what the numbers mean and how their everyday actions contribute to success.

In this episode, Marcie Maxwell talks with Sara Echeverri-Bentley, National Director, Special Events for Walk to Cure Arthritis at the Arthritis Foundation. With more than 100 walks and runs nationwide, Sara shares how her team is turning ambitious revenue targets into manageable milestones that keep staff focused, motivated, and moving forward.

Sara explores the art and science of forecasting, the power of monthly micro-goals, and the importance of explaining the “why” behind performance metrics. She also shares how creating opportunities for peer learning helps local teams build confidence and take greater ownership of their results.

Together, we’ll explore:

– Breaking down ambitious fundraising goals into actionable plans and measurable milestones
– Building staff confidence in forecasting and using data to make smarter decisions
– Using monthly micro-goals and peer collaboration to create focus, accountability and momentum

Mentioned Links
https://www.arthritis.org/about-arthritis
https://www.arthritis.org/juvenile-arthritis
https://www.arthritis.org/get-involved

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Podcast Guest

Sara Echeverri-Bentley is a nonprofit leader with more than 18 years of experience in fundraising, program strategy, and multi-state operations. As National Director, Special Events for Walk to Cure Arthritis at the Arthritis Foundation, she leads national strategy for one of the organization’s signature community fundraising programs and collaborates with the field to drive engagement and meaningful impact.

Previously, Sara has served in roles such as, Director of Development for the Southeast Region at the Lupus Foundation of America, where she led fundraising efforts and strengthened corporate and donor partnerships across six states, along with manager of Walk MS and Bike MS, South Florida Chapter.

Sara lives in South Florida with her husband, two children and two dogs.

Podcast Host

Marcie Maxwell is the CEO 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.