2024 CPGR Volunteer of the Year - Hannah Yaritz 

“I am a part of CPGR because I never feel alone in our mission. It’s an extraordinary community that’s so full of interesting people and interesting stories. Anything I can do to help build that is great.” - Hannah

If you get one impression of Hannah, CPGR’s 2024 Volunteer of the Year - it is that she is a builder through and through. And that’s beyond the transformation of her Arvada backyard from a suburban lawn to a haven for native Colorado plants. Hannah has helped build the resources of many organizations fighting for change through her career at CCS Fundraising, build the capacity of CPGR in the face of a global pandemic, and build a community of passionate fundraisers working for impact across Colorado.

Hannah grew up in Minnesota before moving to Colorado, where she was struck by the community of changemakers she found. Passionate about impact in all sectors, Hannah has worked to build access to education, social justice, nature positivity, global development, social services and more through her role at CCS.

“I love my role because of how many areas of impact I get to touch. I learn so much from each organization I work with and I’ve made connections with the most incredible people.”

Hannah has been forging relationships and growth in the fundraising sector for over a decade, and as she was quickly building her fundraising tool kit, she saw planned giving as an opportunity for people who felt they wanted to grow their impact but didn’t feel they could.

“Learning about planned giving really helped me understand how we can bridge wealth gaps in philanthropy, and the many creative ways that we can help people connect to the impact they want to make in the world.”

She recalls a key moment in her career when she transformed a donors' giving after a simple conversation about opening up IRA giving as an option. The donor was able to commit at a much higher level, paving a new path forward for the organization he loved. Here, she saw the power of thinking about giving differently firsthand.

“CPGR taught me how to open up these conversations - when I started to gain confidence in my own gift planning knowledge, it made it so much easier to share with others. It’s amazing how just a question or two can open up so many possibilities.”

In 2019, Hannah became co-chair of the CPGR Summer Symposium Committee, leading CPGR’s annual conference which brings professionals from across the state of Colorado together to build their planned giving knowledge. When the pandemic hit in 2020, CPGR was faced with a choice to cancel the Symposium, or to build a fully virtual system from the ground up. Hannah advocated for the latter and forged ahead to deliver Colorado a fully virtual Summer Symposium where many would have backed down. The virtual option has remained a key aspect of Summer Symposium since, giving access to premier continuing education for professionals unable to travel in person.

“I love Summer Symposium because, without fail, I always come away with new tools in my toolbox, and connections I wouldn’t have made otherwise. I think it is definitely one of the best things about CPGR.”

Since then, Hannah has stayed building, serving on various board committees and forging new systems for CPGR. This includes gift planning, growth strategy, community engagement, and most recently, board treasurer. In this role, she has modernized CPGR’s gift acceptance policy, refined the endowment investment policy, and implemented the tools and resources that will continue to make this easier in the future.

“Hannah has truly earned the title of CPGR Volunteer of the Year, year after year. Her intelligence, unwavering dedication, and dependability make her an invaluable asset to our team. CPGR is incredibly fortunate to have her as a vital part of our CPGR family” - Tina Drum, Executive Director of CPGR.

There aren’t many challenges that Hannah hasn’t already taken on at CPGR, but she remains passionate about continuing to identify ways to build this community and fight for even greater impact. The Volunteer of the Year award recognizes a CPGR member who has gone above and beyond in advancing the mission and work of CPGR, and it is clear that Hannah has earned this title through and through. There is no question that she will continue to build real opportunities for impactful communities wherever she goes.

Written by Emanuel Mouganis - Fund Development Associate at iDE | Powering entrepreneurs to end poverty.

Meet all of the other Members featured by CPGR over the years!