Alumna Margaret Holman ('73) accepted the Ralph Chamberlain Award from the New York Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP-NYC) on Feb. 10, 2026, on what would have been her father's 101st birthday.
Her earliest fundraising win was at five years old during a college reunion held at her home. Margaret's father, who was on the path to becoming a college president, encouraged her to hand out cookies to a group of alumnae attending.
"My dad was an expert practitioner of ethics, and when I came to the university, I was lucky that Larry Walkman was my advisor—he is the most ethical person who influenced me during my time at the college," Margaret said. "I've grown up with ethics, I've put it into practice and I see its rewards."
Now, after 50 years in nonprofit fundraising, collaborating with over 120 clients in her 35 years of consulting and raising $750+ million to fuel her clients' dreams, she leaves a legacy built on those very same ethics.
Margaret has served on the AFP-NYC Board for 20-plus years, was the President of Women in Development New York, is an Emerita President of the Philanthropic Planning Group of Greater New York, chaired Fundraising Day in New York for two years and so much more.
"Each of these roles was meaningful to me because they allowed me to help shape our profession, especially for the generations that have followed," Margaret said.
She's worked with grassroots nonprofits and major organizations at the national and global level—and with her alma mater as Chairwoman of the College of Journalism and Mass Communications Capital Campaign Committee, finishing the campaign with over $2 million above goal and two years ahead of schedule.
Margaret is a devoted, "adopted Nebraskan." New York City will always be home, but she spent four years in Nebraska—her junior and senior years studying broadcasting news at the college and two years post-grad as a member of Nebraska ETV's (now Nebraska Public Media) camera crew.
Those four years in Nebraska changed her life in many ways. The biggest change by far happened at a campus press conference during her senior year when she was introduced to a journalist from McCook, Nebraska, named Richard "Dick" Holman. Margaret had an internship with the university's public relations department; Dick was a CoJMC alum and an education reporter for the Journal Star and six months later, they were married.
When Dick passed away unexpectedly in 2016, Margaret encouraged friends and family to send memorials in his name to the scholarship fund they had started years back. Giving back to the college that taught them the value and importance of writing, strengthened their ethical beliefs and led them to each other was an important foundation of their marriage and life together.
When the college moved from Avery Hall to become Andersen Hall, the couple funded the courtyard outside the building, "The Dick and Margaret Holman Plaza," and in 2024, Margaret founded the Strategic Fund for Innovation to support top-priority projects in the college.
Dick was Margaret's fiercest supporter throughout her fundraising career. He understood the "other duties as required" that came with a job rooted in philanthropic work—the travel, the need for a flexible schedule, the long nights working—and gave Margaret the encouragement she needed to keep moving forward.
"Other Duties as Required" was the title Margaret gave to her acceptance speech for the Ralph Chamberlain Award. Back when she was working as the Director of Community Relations at a hospital in California, it was her boss's response to Margaret saying fundraising "wasn't in her job description." So Margaret went out into the community to raise the money that the hospital needed for a surgical suite upgrade, and her fundraising career began.
"Over the years, those 'other duties' have led me on the most extraordinary journey — one I never could have scripted, but one I'm profoundly grateful for," Margaret said in her remarks.
In her retirement, Margaret leaves behind a legacy of service. One that's rooted in her expert diplomacy, her strategic leadership and vision for generosity and her belief in the power of doing good.
"I leave with cherished memories, lasting friendships, and wisdom earned over time. I carry with me a deep respect for this craft — its discipline, its purpose, and its power to change lives," Margaret said in closing. "I move forward with a strong work ethic, a lifelong sense of professionalism, and the quiet, peaceful knowledge that the time is right."
