People of Masterworks is a series highlighting talented folks who contribute to the success of our ministry partners on a daily basis. Our hope is that, by getting to know some of our team members, you’ll also learn more about Masterworks and our mission to move hearts and minds to action.
New to the Masterworks team, Stacey Baxter brings expertise and passion to her role as Senior Vice President of Program Management. Her primary function is to oversee our project management team and serve our entire portfolio of full service clients. Stacey has spent over 20 years serving nonprofit organizations. She genuinely loves charitable people who are generous with their time, talent, and treasure.
Prior to joining Masterworks, Stacey served at Compassion International for 10 years in many different roles, leading USA Supporter Retention and Engagement, Global Innovation, and USA Integrated Marketing Experience. She previously worked at a data-driven customer experience management (CXM) company for 8 years doing direct marketing and fundraising strategy for a variety of regional and national nonprofit mission, medical, and animal organizations. Stacey aspires to be a CEO of a small to medium nonprofit someday.
Stacey’s love for charity goes beyond her full-time job into her personal time. She currently serves as the President of her local Colorado Springs chapter of National Charity League and previously served as a board member. She also volunteers with her daughter for a variety of causes close to her heart. Stacey currently resides in Monument, CO, with her husband, Jason, their teenage daughter, Shelby Grace, and their three dogs.
Please take a moment to hear directly from her now!
What surprised you in your first weeks at Masterworks?
I love how close people are. There is a really tightly knit community of people who care about each other, care about these causes, and care about the people they get to serve alongside. Deep relationships really make the culture here exceptional. I expected that to be the case and was truly surprised by how much that exceeded my expectations.
What do Masterworks’ clients need to know about you personally?
I’ve worked with and for nonprofit organizations for almost 25 years now. It’s a calling I feel in my life to do the good work of these organizations. One of my favorite inspirational quotes is from Teddy Roosevelt’s Labor Day speech in 1903, “Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” Yes, far and away. I love this work that is worth doing.
“Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.”
— Teddy Roosevelt
What do ministries need most from Masterworks?
We are all living through such ambiguity right now, with so many layers of uncertainty. I believe our ministry partners are looking for partners with knowledge and experience to help them navigate these times, affirm their difficult choices, and mitigate negative outlooks. Donors give because they want to respond to Christ’s call to care about people and these causes. That is a foundational truth that will never change.
Why are careful project management and efficient work processes more important to ministries today than ever?
Waste is expensive, as it always has been. Ministries are on tighter budgets due to inflation and print and production industry issues. Our industry has truly never, never, (never ever) seen a paper shortage of this 2022 magnitude before. Well-executed project management is often the final gate for accurate work. Which in turn means more net revenue for ministries’ programmatic outcomes.
What’s the greatest challenge before nonprofit organizations today?
For a long time, I’ve believed that our commercial consumer experience is driving up expectations for nonprofit organizations and donation experiences. Yes, we can also provide one-click donations, sure. But nonprofits, and especially ministries, can’t always pivot with trends to cater their program models to the latest whims. While I’m shopping online, yes, I love those black Nine West heels, and within a few menu clicks, I can get them in the exact style I want, delivered in a few days. Ministries that provide services with broader spiritual formation outcomes can’t compete with that kind of consumer driven choice experience or instant gratification of next day delivery. The work of God and spiritual encounters can’t always be held to those same turnaround times. Building long term Kingdom outcomes requires ministries to consistently do things like providing meals, tangible support, AND opportunities that open hearts to a deeper connection with God. I think in our instant “one click” day and age that the greatest challenge is the long patience required for the deeper mission of such important Kingdom outcomes.