by Ethan Lott, Pittsburgh Business Times
Gayle Tissue brought with her over 45 years of experience working in major gift fundraising when she joined Carlow University in January 2024. Tissue spent 27 of those years working in fundraising for UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh before moving to UPMC Hillman Cancer Center. She then started her own fundraising consulting business, Gayle Tissue Strategies, where she worked with national organizations. In her new role at Carlow, Tissue looks to bring that wealth of fundraising experience to the table and help Carlow meet its fundraising goals — it aims to raise $18 million by June 2025.
What attracted you to Carlow after your time spent as a consultant?
GT: Throughout my career, I came to realize that the world of philanthropy was the right place for me. I found my calling in helping donors make a real difference in other people’s lives. As it turned out, my passion was perfectly aligned with Carlow University’s mission. … At just the right time, this position opened. I met with Carlow’s president, Dr. Kathy Humphrey, and she explained what she was trying to do with workforce development. Her passion when talking about service and about changing the lives of students and families in the community was palpable. This approach was so appealing that I leapt at the chance to join the team.
What do you find most compelling when telling the Carlow story to potential donors?
GT: I like to tell the story of the Licensed Practical Nurses. This was a new program at Carlow in 2023. These students were recruited in a cohort of 26. They had all been working at health care institutions, clinics and assisted living facilities. In 18 months, they learned the science behind their work, gaining clinical experience within a simulation lab and directly with patients. Then, they quickly found themselves with two or three job opportunities upon graduation at a salary significantly above where they had started. This is life-changing for them, their children and the rest of their family. It was such a success that there were 200 applicants for the next cohort of 26 students.
What advice would you go back and give yourself when you were starting in the field?
GT: I was so lucky early in my career to work with Henry Hillman, who gave me the best advice I have ever gotten in development: Never worry or stumble when asking for a contribution. This is not about your salary or about you — this is about a mission you believe in. Ask outright and don’t beat around the bush, he told me. It is one thing to hear this from a colleague but quite another to hear it from Henry Hillman looking at you directly across the table. To this day, I feel him on my shoulder when I am out with a donor. I could never give myself better advice than he did back then.