LINDA LYSAKOWSKI is the President/CEO of Capital Venture, a consulting and training firm specializing in capital and endowment campaigns and other fundraising services. She is one of the first fifty-five people worldwide to hold the Advanced Certified Fundraising Executive designation. Linda was named Eastern Pennsylvania's "Outstanding Fundraising Executive of the Year" in 2001, and in 2004, received this same recognition from the Las Vegas Chapter of AFP. A magna cum laude graduate of Alvernia College, Linda is also a graduate of AFP's Faculty Training Academy. She has been a speaker at local, regional, and national fundraising conferences for more than ten years. She has authored three booklets in the AFP Ready Reference Series (Establishing Your Development Office, Getting Ready for a Capital Campaign, and Building an Effective Board of Directors) as well as articles for related newsletters and other nonprofit publications (CharityChannel, CASE Currents, and International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing).