Volunteer Voices: Bradley Fischer on Using Data to Drive Nonprofit Impact
Learn about Bradley Fischer’s experience volunteering with the AMA PDX Agency!
This month, we chatted with Bradley Fischer, a strategy, data, and analytics professional and first-time AMA PDX Agency volunteer. Bradley is bringing his analytical expertise and passion for purpose-driven work to Wonderfolk, a Portland nonprofit that empowers underserved youth through immersive leadership experiences.
As part of AMA PDX Agency, Bradley is helping Wonderfolk build a strong data foundation, shape strategic messaging, and tell a compelling story of impact. He’s proof that even a few hours a week can lead to meaningful change—and personal growth. Read on to hear Bradley’s reflections from his experience with AMA PDX Agency.
Q: Can you introduce yourself and your role in the AMA PDX Agency program?
A: My name is Bradley Fischer, and I’m an Agency Associate focusing on strategy, data, and analytics within the AMA PDX Agency program. I live in Slabtown, a neighborhood in Portland, Oregon.
I’m a Manager of Strategy, Data, and Analytics at Newbridge Marketing, a full-service brand-experience agency specializing in experiential and college marketing. I’ve been with Newbridge Marketing for about four years post-grad, working my way from business development to marketing strategy, data, and analytics. Outside of work, I enjoy photography, hiking, biking, spending time with friends and family, and taking care of my 50 plant babies.
Q: Can you describe what AMA PDX Agency is?
A: AMA PDX Agency is a six-month pro-bono marketing consultancy where Portland professionals can donate a few hours each week to help a nonprofit improve in a variety of areas, including marketing, operations, and overall impact. While you don’t know what non-profit you’ll be working with from the start, you are paired with a nonprofit based on your skillset and where the AMA PDX Agency team thinks you’ll make the greatest impact!
Q: What appealed to you about volunteering with AMA PDX Agency?
A: I’d been looking for a way to give back for a while now. With agency life and limited free time, I struggled to find something that fit my schedule. AMA PDX Agency lets me use my marketing and analytics skills to make a difference, learn new skills, and contribute to a team making a difference, without having to leave my nine-to-five. When I saw an email about the program while cleaning my inbox with just a day left to apply, I went for it. It’s been a genuinely rewarding experience so far and I’m glad I signed up.
Q: Which nonprofit client are you working with this season? What are they aiming to achieve?
A: We’re working with Wonderfolk. Wonderfolk is a Portland-based nonprofit that empowers underserved youth through leadership projects in arts, nature, and community service. They pair participants with mentors and organize international trips to aid in their development as leaders in their communities. They sought AMA PDX Agency’s help to sharpen their messaging, streamline data collection, and improve how they present their story to volunteers and donors.
Our overarching goal is to empower Wonderfolk to communicate its profound impact with greater authority and clarity, supported by data and evidence. This initiative aims to strengthen their brand, enhance storytelling, and ultimately support organizational growth and fundraising abilities.
Q: What is the team working on right now in the Agency process?
A: We’ve officially wrapped Phase One, which delivered a full research packet. Right now, we’re deep in Phase Two, the Activation Toolkit, with a goal of finishing by early August. This phase covers audience segmentation, data-backed elevator pitches, a core messaging guide to align language across teams and emphasize urgency, essentiality, and impact, and a one-pager covering impact metrics.
Phase Three is already in motion and that’s where most of my time is going. It focuses on a Data and Research Augmentation Roadmap, which we’re planning to deliver by the end of August. We’ve been meeting with the client and consulting external experts to shape it. This phase will include a forward-looking strategy and roadmap for data augmentation, updated participant and partner surveys, guidance on data analysis and tracking methods, and a framework for ongoing impact storytelling.
Q: What has been exciting for you to work on with Wonderfolk?
A: I’ve really enjoyed getting to create custom research surveys for Wonderfolk, especially since designing research surveys is a big part of my role at my agency job. At Newbridge, I’m constantly thinking about best practices for question design, how to actually collect useful data, and how research can tell a compelling story for clients. Being able to take those same skills and use them to help a nonprofit, especially one working with underserved youth, has been really fulfilling.
It’s also been exciting to think outside the box about how Wonderfolk can set themselves up for success in the long term: not just collecting data for the sake of it but building practices and frameworks that will allow them to track outcomes, measure impact, and present that data to stakeholders or potential donors for years to come. Helping them use things like Charity Navigator guidelines as a framework has given me a way to directly transfer what I’ve learned professionally into a new environment, which has been motivating and rewarding.
Q: Have there been any unexpected challenges?
A: One of the biggest challenges has honestly just been balancing my agency job and this volunteer work, especially with the unpredictable pace of agency life. Some weeks I barely have any bandwidth, and other weeks I can dive in and get a lot done. Sometimes it feels like progress is slow when we’re only able to contribute a few hours each week, and I’ll admit that can feed into some imposter syndrome. But I’ve practiced reframing my perspective: even if I can’t always attend every call or contribute every single week, the work I’m doing still matters and adds value for Wonderfolk.
I try to focus my time on the areas where I’m strongest, data and analytics, while letting my teammates lead on the marketing and creative work where they have more experience and interest. I’ve realized that just showing up when I can and supporting in the ways that fit my strengths is what’s most important, and that flexibility has helped the team as a whole move forward, even when our schedules aren’t perfect.
Q: What have you learned from your experience with AMA PDX Agency?
A: Volunteering with AMA PDX Agency taught me a lot about the value and reality of giving back with my professional skills. It’s a different kind of challenge compared to a paid side hustle or typical agency work. I learned how to adapt what I know about strategy, data, and analytics to a nonprofit environment, where resources and time are limited, and you have to focus on what will have the most impact.
The biggest takeaway for me is that meaningful contributions don’t always have to come in large doses or look like what you expect. Sometimes it’s about using your strengths, even in short bursts, to help a team move forward, and realizing that any support, no matter the size, can make a difference. It also gave me a clearer sense of where I want to spend my energy outside my day job, and I have a new appreciation for the behind-the-scenes work it takes to help a nonprofit succeed.
Get Involved
Bradley’s experience is a powerful reminder that volunteering can be an extension of the work you already love to do.
If you’re looking for a way to give back that fits your schedule and skill set, consider joining the AMA PDX Agency program! Whether you’re a marketer ready to volunteer or a nonprofit seeking support, we invite you to get involved:
Volunteer for the 2026 AMA PDX Agency season – applications open in late 2025
Apply for pro bono support for your nonprofit – applications open in late 2025
Stay connected through the AMA PDX blog and social channels for updates on our volunteer work in action