Natalie P. Van Eron, Esq.
Personal and Professional BIO
Natalie has always considered advocating for children and animals to be her life’s purpose. Her career and professional development have been entirely focused on improving the lives of children with physical, intellectual, and developmental disabilities, as well as children who suffer economic challenges, educational inequalities, or who have been abused and neglected. A twenty-year veteran of the nonprofit industry and an attorney by training, Natalie’s nonprofit expertise includes significant gift acquisition, donor relationship development, board structure and management, event sponsorship, and nonprofit branding and marketing. Her volunteer experience spans various settings, including homeless shelters and animal shelters. As the proud daughter of a blind father, she is a passionate advocate for the visually impaired community.
Natalie began her career running a mentoring program for low-income and at-risk children in Bridgeport, CT. She also served as the Director of Development and Marketing for Take Stock in Children, a mentoring and scholarship program in Florida. In 2004, Natalie left TSIC to begin her career at Best Buddies International as the Vice President of Development and Marketing. In this capacity, she played a key role in the inaugural Hearst Castle Challenge. Additionally, she secured numerous new sponsorships and celebrity ambassador relationships in New England to support the Hyannis Port Challenge. Simultaneously, Natalie launched an aggressive new fundraising effort in New York City and spearheaded several national cause-related marketing initiatives with Fortune 500 companies, including The Limited Corporation.
In 2007, Natalie moved to Manhattan to pursue an opportunity at Changing Our World, one of the world’s leading philanthropy consulting firms. There, she served in both the Fundraising and Planned Giving divisions. Natalie also worked privately as a consultant to some of the country¹s leading non-profit organizations, providing a fundraising structure and strategic plan to ensure financial stability. During this time, Natalie also graduated from the Connecticut School of Broadcasting and moonlighted as a local Sports Broadcaster in Nashville, TN.
In 2011, Natalie was very excited to return to Best Buddies, an organization that has always held a special place in her heart. In 2013, she was instrumental in launching the first-ever Best Buddies Challenge Miami, a ride that exceeded its financial goal in its first year! She also oversaw fundraising efforts for the most prominent Miami Gala in its 17-year history, which was the highest-grossing in South Florida, raising revenue from $ 800,000 to $ 2.5 million in less than two years.
In 2013, she was honored with the “Headquarters Employee of the Year Award” by her colleagues, and in 2014, she was promoted to Vice President of National Development and the Miami Challenge. In this new role, Natalie continued her successes in Florida while overseeing development efforts in Texas and New York City and building a new team in the Capital.
Region. Under Natalie’s leadership, the D.C. team turned around a deficit from the previous year to exceeding a very aggressive fundraising and programmatic growth plan. They also led the Country’s #1 Friendship Walk (by revenue and participation) in 2015-16, becoming the first Walk to exceed $ 100,000 in the organization’s history, surpassing its $ 500,000 revenue goal.
Natalie left Best Buddies in 2017 to return to her roots in New England. She served as the first Chief Development Officer for YouthBuild USA, a social justice organization committed to leveling the playing field for opportunity youth. In this capacity, she oversaw all fundraising, marketing and communications (creating the first formal department in these areas), revamped the grant application and reporting processes into an organized and effective system, led the first formal fundraising event in the history of YouthBuild (achieving its $1MM revenue goal) and secured the organizations’ historically most significant major gift from Howard and Sheri Schultz.
She has also served as Chief Development Officer for incredible organizations, including The BASE in Roxbury, MA, and The Ronald McDonald House of Northeast Florida, leading them through major transitions, the Pandemic, and CEO transitions. And continuing her reputation for record-breaking fundraising results year after year.
In a legal capacity, Natalie has worked for the Guardian Ad Litem Program (on behalf of abused and neglected children in dependency court proceedings). She has also worked under a leading Civil Rights and Anti-Discrimination attorney in Florida, as well as with The HIV Education and Law Project (HELP, Inc.). She also received a prestigious fellowship from the University of Miami School of Law to design and implement a program for Special Education students through the Miami-Dade County Juvenile Public Defenders’ office.
Natalie received her B.A., cum laude from Fairfield University in CT and her J.D., cum laude, from the University of Miami School of Law. She is also a proud member of the Miami Scholars Program, which recognizes her substantial academic achievements and demonstrates her commitment to public service by providing her a full tuition merit-based scholarship upon entering her first year at UM.
An animal lover and adventure junkie, Natalie recently traveled to Alaska to explore the wildlife and challenge herself in the glaciers and on the mountains climbing, hiking, biking, horseback riding and ATV driving. She spends her free time reading, taking online classes, volunteering at her church and local animal shelters, mentoring children in foster care, practicing Pilates and yoga, watching cheesy ’80s movies and old episodes of Family Guy and South Park, and cuddling with her handsome husband, Winston.
Most importantly, she spends as much time as humanly possible with her 8-year-old rescue dog, Chewbacca (and her #1 love). They are adjusting to the Boston winters the best they can and can’t wait to spend some quality time in Newport (Natalie’s “happy place”) this summer!
Recent Experience: My 2024 Sabbatical was one of the most impactful and memorable times in my life. During my first career break since high school, I spent most of the year assisting my father, who had become completely blind, working with various blindness agencies and visiting retina specialists nationwide. I also attended Graduate Programs at Oxford University and The Wharton School, where I received Certificates in AI and social media for non-profits. Additionally, I volunteered weekly at the Palmetto Animal Rescue League and provided on-site relief to Hurricane Helene victims in Valdosta, GA. I learned how to play golf, worked towards becoming a certified Pilates instructor, got married in the summer, and spent my honeymoon traveling Europe.
Personal Mission: I look forward to returning to work full-time in 2025. I aim to match my innate talents as a fundraiser with my passion for helping others, aligning them with an organization’s mission that resonates deeply with me. I also seek to find a role that allows me to maximize my greatest strengths: Activator, Strategic, Developer, Woo, and Achiever. I am at my best in an external-facing fundraising role that enables me to innovate, set ambitious goals, and develop high-level strategic plans to advance our mission. I also enjoy mentoring other aspiring professionals and building an inclusive and supportive team environment. Throughout my two decades of professional experience, I’ve consistently focused on leaving this world a better, happier, and more equitable place.
