Laura Solomon
Brooklyn,NY
Summary
Self-motivated development professional and tenured major gift fundraiser with excellent track record of managing donor relationships and identifying prospects to increase fundraising. Creative donor event planner with excellent track-record of turning cultivation events into fundraisers who works strategically to build relationships across organizations to bolster knowledge to share with donors.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Major Gifts Officer
Center For Reproductive Rights
05.2019 - Current
- Develop, manage, and grow $4+ million portfolio of tri-state area donors and prospects capable of making annual gifts of $10,000 and up with the goal of securing new gifts and gift upgrades through creative and initiative-taking approach to personal cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
- Exceeded fundraising year-over-year for fiscal year ending June 30, 2023.
- Lead all fundraising initiatives for the Center’s annual New York City Gala collaborating with and managing solicitations of co-chairs, board and host committee members and pro bono team. Raised record-breaking $2.8 million at Gala 2022 with largest attendance ever of over five hundred guests.
- Manage donor relationships with 12 family foundations who collectively give almost $2 million annually by stewarding donors and foundation staff, editing reports and proposals, and plan meetings with key Center legal and program staff and/or CEO as needed to strengthen and steward relationships.
- Plan and implement donor briefings and engagement opportunities, both virtual and in-person, nationally and portfolio-based, collaborating with donor hosts and committees, and program staff that generate new donors, increase donations from existing donors and function as critical educational, stewardship and cultivation tools.
- Conceptualized and led highly successful new donor cultivation event in Jackson Hole, WY which brought in new high net worth donors, many of whom became new New York City Gala sponsors. Event is now annual.
- Work collaboratively with major gifts team on all initiatives including developing strategies to expand major donor pipeline and upgrades, best practices for communication strategies and brainstorming on challenging donor questions or interactions.
- Educate daily on incredibly dynamic and complex environment of the Center’s work, especially since the fall of Roe v. Wade, in order to keep donors abreast of all critical developments at the state and federal levels in the US in addition to the Center's global work.
- Seek opportunities for deeper learning and collaboration on specific areas of the Center’s work by representing major gifts team on multiple cross-departmental task forces.
- Mentor junior members of development team by establishing excellent, trusting relationships and becoming their go-to for questions, assistance, and support.
Senior Major Gifts Officer
Union For Reform Judaism
07.2017 - 05.2019
- Developed new major gifts program and strategy in partnership with development team, CEO, board and development committee chairs and executive team.
- Built prospect list of individuals and institutions capable of making five and six figure gifts.
- Created individual donor cultivation and stewardship plans and solicited high net worth individuals throughout North America.
- Managed donor portfolio and led bi-weekly status meetings for CEO. Accompanied CEO at cultivation and solicitation meetings, and held CEO accountable for his work with donors.
- Managed two individual gift associates to develop, cultivate and convert current organization wide low-level donors into mid-level donors.
- Liaised with all programmatic teams including 16 camp development directors to keep abreast of trends and funding opportunities.
- Managed and advised board’s executive team on donor stewardship and annual solicitations of other board members in partnership with board chair.
- Created and executed major donor stewardship activities and events to deepen donors’ commitment to organization; developed donor-related communications materials.
- Contributed actively to development team by supporting colleagues and collaborated on projects, solicitations, and initiatives.
Development Director
Jewish National Fund
01.2015 - 06.2017
- Served as first dedicated development director in Brooklyn.
- Built vital and dynamic fundraising campaign through education and awareness by fostering relationships with key donors and establishing a base of new ones.
- Surpassed fundraising goal by 72% in two years; raised $1.5 million.
- Led all aspects of gift cycle: cultivation of new donors, established close relationships with long-time donors, conducted face-to-face solicitations and closed gifts at all levels up to $500,000.
- Developed board and task force chairs and members by providing professional leadership and management.
- Strategically planned educational cultivation and stewardship events and meetings utilizing program partners and executive team members.
- Conceptualized and led twelve person Israel trip for high-capacity donors. Created new model for organization.
- Selected by CEO as staff lead for two trips with highest-level donors and board members.
- Mentored campaign managers of young professionals’ program.
- Attended all national and New York City board meetings to build relationships with board members.
Development Manager
Central Conference of American Rabbis
11.2011 - 12.2014
- Led all development activities for organization, reporting to CEO.
- Surpassed annual campaign goal of $250K each year for three years by 15%.
- Managed fifty solicitors, wrote solicitation scripts, provided targeted solicitation lists, and conducted all follow-up.
- Exceeded annual convention fundraising goal of $100k by 25% for two years.
- Created “Friends Of” campaign through program development and wrote strategic communications. Created prospect list, assisted CEO in solicitations Hosted group at annual convention and created programming and social activities.
- Strategized rollout of bequest society. Created all documentation, communications, solicited and enrolled members.
- Managed all fundraising committees including revenue enhancement, annual campaign, and bequest society.
- Presented fundraising reports to board of trustees at bi-annual meetings.
Development Manager
The Center To Prevent Youth Violence
09.2007 - 01.2010
- Supported CEO in all development initiatives.
- Researched, wrote, and procured grants.
- Managed board and donor relationships.
- Prepared development reports for bi-annual board meetings.
- Co-led planning of two annual galas raising over $1 million each year; sold tables, managed printed program, procured auction items, for 400-person events.
- Created workflow and training documentation for implementation of Salesforce.
- Managed accounting and audit preparation for $1.5 million annual budget; Included all bill payment, month, and year-end closeouts for all accounts
- Coordinated mailings, tracked donations from appeal letters, processed donations and prepared acknowledgement letters.
Education
Certificate Program, Human Resource Management -
New York University
New York, NY1998
Bachelor of Arts - Art History
University of Missouri - Kansas City
Kansas City, MO1994
Skills
- Ability to multi-task and work in fast-paced environment
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Strong leadership skills and ability to lead events, projects, campaigns or meetings
- Effective interaction with all levels of management
- Exceptional interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence
- Skilled donor relationships manager
- Excellent collaborator and team member
- Strategic thinker and connector
Timeline
Senior Major Gifts Officer
Center For Reproductive Rights
05.2019 - Current
Senior Major Gifts Officer
Union For Reform Judaism
07.2017 - 05.2019
Development Director
Jewish National Fund
01.2015 - 06.2017
Development Manager
Central Conference of American Rabbis
11.2011 - 12.2014
Development Manager
The Center To Prevent Youth Violence
09.2007 - 01.2010
Certificate Program, Human Resource Management -
New York University
Bachelor of Arts - Art History
University of Missouri - Kansas City
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