Jaime Archer, Planned Giving Associate and Illinois, Indiana and Iowa

My love of animals was an anchor to me throughout my childhood. My sister and I started fostering for a no-kill shelter in Chicago when I was 16. As I entered college, I realized that there were many ways to help animals, and after enjoying raising money for my school, I decided that I would have a career in fundraising with the ultimate goal of raising money for an animal organization.

My first clear memory of Best Friends is the work around the Vicktory dogs. The positive, kind approach toward the dogs that Best Friends advocated for and the work they did to save their lives brought me into the Best Friends family. Raising money to fulfill Best Friends’ mission became my goal, and I waited patiently for a position that matched the fundraising experience I have had.

I joined the planned giving team over three years ago. It is an honor and a privilege to help animal lovers with their legacy plans on behalf of Best Friends.

I live on the southwest side of Chicago and share my home with my wife, Ashley, and our pack, which is made up of Vixey, our sweet Texas brown dog; Jack, our Australian cattle dog mix who helps humans through animal-assisted therapy; Copper, our playful, silly beagle mix; Dory, our sassy Chihuahua mix; Ralphie, our hospice dachshund; and Tyriona, a former community cat. Our pack has helped us foster over 150 dogs in the last eight years, most of them through Mutts of the Midway, our foster-based dog rescue group that we co-founded with a few friends in 2018.