The mission of Dreher Nonprofit Solutions, LLC is to support all-volunteer nonprofit organizations in carrying out their missions efficiently and to champion volunteer leadership in the Rochester community.
Several years ago, you would have found me behind a podium in the courtroom as an Assistant District Attorney. I enjoyed being a lawyer, and I was good at it.
But, in December 2013, I began a new chapter as someone disabled due to a chronic illness. I am living with vestibular migraine, persistent postural-perceptual dizziness, and cervicogenic dizziness.
Learning to navigate my disability was a challenge. After initially taking a few months away from my job because I was too dizzy to research and write, I experienced some improvement and went back to work part-time for about six weeks. However, the persistent dizziness soon returned, and I stopped practicing as an attorney in May 2014.
It took me two-and-a-half years to get a diagnosis and another four years to get my secondary diagnosis. In February 2024, I recieved yet another diagnosis. I have seen 25+ medical professionals along my journey, tried dozens of medications, and tested all manner of lifestyle changes and therapies. Every day I continue to learn how best to manage my illness.
Since I stopped working as an attorney in 2014, I have crafted a life as a volunteer leader, using my skills to serve the community. I have been a board member and president of small nonprofit organizations, including professional associations. My volunteer work has been a crucial part of my mental health, and I have learned a great deal.
I founded Dreher Nonprofit Solutions as a vehicle to make an impact and be a part of community projects beyond my volunteer leadership service. However, the daily limitations of my illness have prevented me from serving clients in the ways that I had hoped. My body has given me no choice but to spend less time reading and writing in all forms, so that I can minimize my daily symptoms, live comfortably, and be present for my family.
I am still available by phone and in person (at times) to advise small, all-volunteer nonprofit organizations on topics such as volunteer management, fund development, and creating policies and procedures. I can also deliver a “Basic Board Training” that I have already created. I look forward to serving my community while living my best possible life with chronic illness.
You can find a list of resources for small nonprofits and volunteer leaders in the Rochester, NY area here.