Stewarding your donations well and maintaining the highest standards of financial transparency is one of Sister School’s top priorities. That’s why we’re so grateful to have had Donna Martin serving as our accountant for so many years. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and Donna is now ready to enjoy retirement.
Donna and her husband Jeff have faithfully supported Sister Schools since the very beginning, both personally, and through their business. Jeff has served on the board, helping shape and grow the organization in its early years.
Donna first met founder Terry McGill when they were students at Seattle Pacific University, and later she and Jeff were in the same Sunday School class as Terry and his wife Melissa.
What started as simple friendship, grew to a shared vision of making a difference for students both in Seattle and Uganda. In addition to supporting the mission financially, Jeff and Donna gave their time to the work, including a memorable experience sorting and packing the container of goods for Uganda in the bitter cold.
“We had two light bulbs and no heat,” Terry recalls. “We had a small kerosene heater... Every 15 minutes or so our fingers would get so numb we'd huddle around the heater to try to warm them up.”
That’s the sort of dedication Donna and Jeff have both consistently shared for our work. For the last 15 years, Donna has served as our accountant, bringing that same comitment to our financial records, and ensuring Sister Schools can continue to execute our mission. We’re so grateful for her faithful service!
Reflecting on all the years partnering with the Martins, Terry sums it up well.
“Longtime friends from college and church, Donna and Jeff Martin have supported Sister Schools since the very beginning. Donna's recent work has focused on providing accounting services, but over the last 35 years they've both done just about everything - sorted supplies, loaded containers, served on the board, provided warehouse facilities, attended events and supported us financially. They are dear friends and it's been a true privilege to serve with them for so many years.”
Donna told us last year that she was ready to take a step back, but graciously gave us lots of time to find a replacement. These are big shoes to fill! While we’re sad to see Donna step down from her staff role, we look forward to partnering with her and Jeff in new ways in the future, and excited for everything our next chapter holds.
Thankfully, we’ve found the perfect person to step into the gap. As we say a fond farewell to Donna, please also join us in welcoming Sara, our new accountant.
Sara has over 12 years of experience working with nonprofits of all different sizes. She is a certified CPA, and passionate about using her skills to make a difference. She is excited to dive into creating financial reports for Sister Schools that clearly demonstrate the impact we’re making.
Sara was born and raised in Egypt. Her experience there is what originally drew her to the mission of Sister Schools - she’s seen first had the impact education can have for students in need, and is excited to help inspire students here in the U.S. towards a lifetime of helping others.
Thank you, Donna for all you’ve done for Sister Schools! And welcome onboard, Sara!