How Storytelling Raised Millions for the Great Lakes | VP of Development Matt Altstiel

In this episode of Fundraising Leaders with Drew, host Drew Clancy talks with Matt Altstiel, Vice President for Development at the Alliance for the Great Lakes. Matt shares how his journey from adult education classrooms to Chicago Public Schools to urban planning led him to environmental advocacy—and why all of it comes down to one core skill: talking to people. He breaks down how the Alliance uses vivid storytelling (“a credit card’s worth of plastic in our bodies every week”) to make complex issues like microplastics and policy feel personal, urgent, and solvable. Matt also explains how his team builds 15+ touchpoints per year for major donors, why Charity Navigator scores and transparency matter, and how they’re designing a new planned giving program to ensure the Alliance is strong 55 years from now. If you care about systems change, water, and the craft of development work, this conversation is packed with practical insights.