Mike Finger
My name is Mike Finger -- I have been a volunteer firefighter with United Fire and Rescue in Western, Wisconsin since 2006.
Professionally I have worked primarily in the nonprofit and public sectors. I have a Master's Degree in Nonprofit and Public Administration, and have spent the last 15 years starting and growing two successful businesses that sold at the end of 2010. After the sale I began looking around for what I wanted to do next, and found that my work as a firefighter dramatically influenced that search.
Simply stated, I love being a volunteer firefighter and wanted to see if I could find an opportunity in the fire service that would fit my professional background and experience -- I found that opportunity in the area of fire department fundraising.
Many departments conduct fundraisers that require a ton of manpower (auctions, pancake breakfasts, open houses, etc.) only to find their financial results to be hit and miss. Those events and activites are often missing key elements -- sometimes simple, best practices that dramatically impact the financial results of fundraisers. At the same time, there are a number of developments in fundraising that seemed to be bypassing fire departments -- like effective use of online fundraising.
With those needs in mind, we have started a new company called Firefighter Fundraising, Inc.
We're excited about the opportunity to work with fellow firefighters and provide them the information and tools that help fire departments create new, more profitable fundraisers and to improve the results they achieve from their existing fundraising efforts.
Mike Finger
President
Firefighter Fundraising, Inc.