Faces of Sharing: Getting to Know Sharing NoVA’s Lindsay Shetterly
For Lindsay Shetterly, a Principal and Client Advisor at Glassman Wealth Services, helping people think carefully about the impact of their giving is at the heart of everything she does.
“I love partnering with my clients to help them define what their legacy will be,” Lindsay shares. “Whether they want to support a specific cause, fund an organization, or just build their community – each individual has a different approach – and I get to be a part of it.”
“I joined Sharing NoVA, originally, because I felt like getting to know local organizations more intimately was a better way to help my clients find partners that align with their values.”
“But what I got out of Sharing NoVa was so much more than that!”
A Career Built on Connection
Lindsay's path to Sharing NoVA began long before she ever set foot in Northern Virginia. Originally from Pennsylvania, Lindsay moved to the DC area to attend American University, where she studied finance — a natural fit for someone who had known from a young age that she wanted to become a financial advisor.
Upon graduation, Lindsay moved to Montgomery County, where she spent the first decade of her career working with philanthropically-minded individuals and nonprofit organizations around the Rockville and Bethesda area.
“It didn’t take long for me to learn about The Community Foundation,” Lindsay recalled. “My colleagues would partner with Sally Rudney (the founding Executive Director for Montgomery County who launched The Community Foundation’s first Sharing Community initiative) and her team to help our clients get connected to different causes and organizations; a lot of professionals in my field were involved in the Professional Advisors Council or would go to different Community Foundation events.”
Then in 2014, Lindsay joined Glassman Wealth Services, a wealth management firm based in Northern Virginia.
“When I first joined Glassman, I spent a lot of time crossing the river,” Lindsay explained. “Not just in terms of the commute – driving from Bethesda to Tysons Corner - but also in terms of learning about the causes, communities, and organizations my clients wanted to support.”
Eventually, Lindsay relocated her family to Vienna and found herself eager to put down deeper roots in her new community – both from a personal and a professional standpoint.
“I wanted to get better connected with organizations in my community,” Lindsay said.
“I also wanted to set an example for my children about the importance of serving others,” she added. “I believe that caring for others, in your local community and beyond, is part of what defines us. Sharing NoVA felt like a great place to start.”
Behind the Scenes of the Launch of Sharing NoVA
First launched in Montgomery County and later in neighboring DC & Prince George’s County, The Community Foundation’s Sharing Community Funds are designed to give individuals a hands-on look at the great work happening in their local community and learn effective grantmaking practices from our staff.
Lindsay was invited to join the inaugural launch of Sharing NoVA - an intimate convening of community leaders and professional advisors learning about the needs of nonprofits in the Richmond Highway corridor and Bailey's Crossroads. Facilitated by long-time community advocate and nonprofit leader Yolonda Earl-Thompson, the committee meets with organizations, hears from their founders, and ultimately makes funding decisions together.
For Lindsay, the experience has been unlike anything she'd encountered in her career advising philanthropists.
“You don't usually get this much face time with leaders who started their work from the ground up,” she said. “So many came to us in a humble way — asking for advice, in addition to funds. To be able to interact with them and hear why they do this work is empowering and meaningful.”
Rather than focusing on larger, more established nonprofit organizations that her clients might find online, Sharing NoVA takes a community-based approach – focusing on organizations that not only provide valuable services, but are also based in and have roots in the communities they serve.
As a result, many of the organizations participating in Sharing NoVA are smaller and more grassroots based. For some organizations, these were the first grants they had ever received – an impact that goes far beyond the financial support.
“Through Sharing NoVA's cohort model, nonprofit organizations don't just receive funding — Yolonda brings them together as a network to find ways to build relationships and share information so they can grow together,” Lindsay explains.
“This network allows our partners to lift each other up, so that when the next year comes around, they’ve made more progress than they would have made on their own.”
Now in her third year of participating in Sharing NoVA, Lindsay has enjoyed watching the growth of the different organizations from one year to the next.
“Sharing NoVA is not about just giving organizations money and walking away – Sharing NoVA is walking alongside them and helping them grow.”
“It's not about the dollars — it's about the stories, the names, the personal connection. It's about legacy, and how we can make a lasting impact – as donors and as responsible community members.”
Worth Every Bit of It
For Lindsay, her Sharing NoVA experience has reinforced something she's long believed, that giving back isn't defined solely by time or money.
“At the end of the day, we do so much that is self-serving,” she reflected. “Giving back and caring for others is so much more meaningful.”
For anyone in Northern Virginia who's considering getting involved, her advice is simple: don't wait.
“Participating in Sharing is a time commitment – but I knew I'd regret it if I didn't do it,” she said. “What I got out of it — the relationships, the learning, the chance to serve — was worth every bit of time and then some.”
Want to get involved in Sharing Northern Virginia? New committee members are always welcome! Contact Benton Murphy at [email protected] to learn more.