David Hessekiel, Founder and President
Run Walk Ride Fundraising Council President David Hessekiel has one marathon for charity under his belt and a passion for helping nonprofits and businesses succeed at doing well by doing good.
Since 2006 the RWRFC has brought thousands of peer-to-peer fundraising professionals together via its annual conference, workshops and webinars to share best practices and provided them with access to the information they need to raise more for their organziations.
The group's annual Run Walk Ride 30 Study, which ranks America's top athletic event fundraising programs by gross revenue, has become a key industry benchmark. Each year RWRFC's Cash, Sweat & Tears Award spotlights an inspiring peer-to-peer fundraising program participant.
RWRFC is a unit of Hessekiel's Cause Marketing Forum, Inc. Since 2002, CMF’s events, online offerings and membership program have helped thousands of executives gain the practical knowledge they need to succeed, make valuable connections, and honor outstanding accomplishments in this expanding field.
Each spring the CMF conference attracts hundreds of nonprofit and business executives from across the country and around the world to learn, network, and recognize the previous year’s best work at the Cause Marketing Halo Awards. Newcomers and veterans alike give the conference rave reviews.
The industry’s leading website, www.causemarketingforum.com, offers free access to prodigious amounts of background information, statistics and case studies. Other popular website features include The CMF Marketplace, where nonprofits, advisors and suppliers describe their capabilities; and Cause Marketing Jobs, an employment posting area.
“Cause Marketing Today,” the company’s monthly e-newsletter, brings industry insights to thousands of subscribers.
The CMF membership program offers nonprofits, corporations, agencies, and individuals a rich selection of benefits designed to accelerate their success. Each month, for example, members have free access to a teleclass in the Cause Marketing Masters series.
His single-minded concentration on cause marketing has quickly made David one of the field’s leading authorities, frequently quoted in leading publications such as The New York Times, USA Today, PROMO, Advertising Age, License! and PRWeek. A popular speaker, David has addressed nonprofit and business groups in the US and abroad.
The recipient of a BA from Wesleyan University and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, David’s background in journalism, magazine management, consumer marketing and the dot.com world equipped him to launch CMF. He lives in Rye, New York with his wife Andrea and their two daughters.
