In this episode of The Beacon Podcast, Lighthouse Counsel Senior Consultant Dr. Lilya Wagner talks with long-time fundraiser and volunteer Jeff Lukacsena about diversity, equity and inclusion in the nonprofit world.

In their discussion, Lilya and Jeff address issues including:

• The importance of having true diversity on your fundraising team and how that translates into deepening relationships with donors.
• The progress to that end being made in the nonprofit world
• The difference between organizational culture and representation

About our guest

Jeff Lukacsena currently is a Master of Arts student at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, graduating in December 2024. During his time at the Lilly School, he earned his Certified Fundraising Management certificate from The Fundraising School. He served as a graduate assistant in the School of Liberal Arts. 

Since 2016 he has served as a volunteer fundraising ambassador for the Pittsburgh and Indianapolis chapters of the Foundation Fighting Blindness and participates in their annual VisionWalk, where he has raised more than $25,00. These funds have helped the Foundation Fighting Blindness continue its research to find cures for blinding eye conditions.

Previously he served as a fundraising consultant for 501c3 Squared. He previously worked as the development associate for East Suburban Citizen Advocacy. His other positions were at the Pittsburgh Aids Task Force and the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, where he worked on planned giving marketing. 

Jeff serves on the boards of the Western Pennsylvania chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, as well as the Pittsburgh Planned Giving Council. He also was a charter member of Grant Professionals of Western Pennsylvania. 

At the 2016 Emerging Philanthropy Conference, he presented a panel discussion titled, “Diversity and Inclusion: For the Small Shop and Beyond.”

Jeff has been the chair of diversity for AFP of Western Pennsylvania since 2010, where he implemented and has overseen the Diversity Fellows program. He received the Chamberlin scholarship in 2010 to attend the AFP International Conference in Baltimore. He has a bachelor’s degree in corporate communications from Duquesne University and a public and professional writing certificate from the University of Pittsburgh.

Jeff is a five-time graduate of Seeing Eye Inc. in Morristown, New Jersey. He currently is working with Bella, a chocolate labrador retriever.