Our Program

Kickstart your year with a commitment to your health and wellness - critical pillars of success in both fundraising and personal resilience. Join us this January for an empowering session that will help you take charge of your well-being and develop actionable strategies to make lasting, positive changes in the areas that matter most to you. Together, we'll explore the unique challenges that fundraisers face in maintaining wellness, including stress and burnout, and uncover effective ways to overcome them. By cultivating mindful awareness, you can improve your mood, enhance your relationships, and boost your overall agency. Don't wait - take the first step toward a healthier, more balanced you in 2025!

Our Presenter

Nicole Thomas, Ed.D., serves as the Contemplative Commons Director for the Contemplative Sciences Center at the University of Virginia. In this role, she leads facility operations, program development and implementation, and events strategy for the work of the Center focused in Charlottesville, VA.

Nicole has spent over 12 years in higher education as a student affairs practitioner,  fundraiser, administrator, and adjunct faculty member. She has developed curricula and programming to improve student health and well-being, and her dissertation research examined how students and  staff  utilize  wellness  facilities  on  college  campuses.  In addition to health and well-being, her courses and current research projects focus on identity development and the professionalization of student affairs as a career field. Nicole enjoys employing and assessing methods to both improve the student experience and enhance the related research possibilities within the university context.

Nicole is trained as a Health and Well-being Coach. In her free time, she helps others assess their wellness and make action plans to meet their health goals. She is also a trained yoga instructor and enjoys working with others as they explore what holistic health means for their lives and their paths forward.

Outside of work, Nicole enjoys live music performances, spending time in nature, and sharing experiences with her partner and two young boys. She also volunteers for a local farm animal sanctuary in North Garden, VA and at Crozet Elementary School.

Our Schedule

• 11:30 a.m. In-person Registration & Networking begins
• 12 p.m. Lunch begins 
• 12:10 p.m. Program begins
• 1:30 p.m. Session concludes, Adjourn

Registration Fees

• In-person registration is $20 for members ($0 for those with a Season Pass or $12 for those with a Virtual Season Pass), $25 for nonmembers who work at a member organization, and $30 for guests. All in-person registrants should select their meal during the registration process.
• Virtual registration is $8 for members ($0 for those with a Virtual Season Pass), $11 for nonmembers who work at a member organization and $15 for nonmembers. The virtual registration fees help support the technology costs associated with offering a hybrid event.

If you are not a VAFRE member and do not work in the office of a VAFRE member, consider becoming a member of VAFRE in order to access reduced registration fees.