News and Updates About Federal Financial Aid & the FAFSA: Students | Practitioners
Team
Tasha Lawson
Manager of Individual Giving
As Manager of Individual Giving, Tasha expands and diversifies uAspire’s donor community while cultivating meaningful relationships and expressing appreciation for supporters. In partnership with the Chief Development Officer, she designs and executes multi-channel campaigns spanning digital, direct mail, signature events, and personalized outreach that share uAspire’s story and impact. Through this work, she builds deep engagement and inspires support for increased and equitable college access and economic mobility.
Over the past 12 years, Tasha has worked across nonprofit development, communications, and digital strategy roles. Most recently, she served as Grant Development Manager at Treatment Alternatives for Stronger Communities (TASC), leading grant research, prospecting, and application development to secure funding for programs that connect people to substance use treatment and recovery support instead of legal system involvement. She has also worked with nature and equity-focused nonprofits, serving as Director of Organizational Impact for the Midwest Region at EcoWomanist Institute, working in donor communications at the Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance, and supporting development and external relations at Openlands.
Earlier in her career, she held digital strategy roles at marketing agencies. Tasha served as a national volunteer leader for Outdoor Afro in the Chicago region, helped plan National Black Birders Week 2023, produced and hosted podcasts with BirdNote, and volunteered for many years with Mission: USA, supporting individuals returning to the community after incarceration.
Tasha holds a Master of Music from Louisiana State University and a Bachelor of Music from DePaul University, where she studied French horn.
I wish I had known about uAspire when I was navigating college affordability myself. I came very close to leaving school mid-degree because of the cost, and I’ve seen family members miss out on opportunities for the same reason. It’s deeply meaningful to support an organization that enables students to pursue the education they aspire to.
Over the past 12 years, Tasha has worked across nonprofit development, communications, and digital strategy roles. Most recently, she served as Grant Development Manager at Treatment Alternatives for Stronger Communities (TASC), leading grant research, prospecting, and application development to secure funding for programs that connect people to substance use treatment and recovery support instead of legal system involvement. She has also worked with nature and equity-focused nonprofits, serving as Director of Organizational Impact for the Midwest Region at EcoWomanist Institute, working in donor communications at the Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance, and supporting development and external relations at Openlands.
Earlier in her career, she held digital strategy roles at marketing agencies. Tasha served as a national volunteer leader for Outdoor Afro in the Chicago region, helped plan National Black Birders Week 2023, produced and hosted podcasts with BirdNote, and volunteered for many years with Mission: USA, supporting individuals returning to the community after incarceration.
Tasha holds a Master of Music from Louisiana State University and a Bachelor of Music from DePaul University, where she studied French horn.