Jennifer Ott Email & Phone Number

Fort Ann, Ny, Us

I work with nonprofits--grassroots startups to established, multi-site institutions--providing guidance on how to maximize both fundraising, community awareness, organizational potential. Typically reporting to the CEO, as either a consultant or interim staffer, I explain best practices and tailor both strategic planning and hands-on implementation of protocols and tactics to assure effective staff, board and volunteer engagement and successful outcomes.

Palisades, New York, Us

Oak Brook, Il, Us

I was retained by Witt/Kieffer to identify top-tier candidates for a Vice Chancellor of Government Relations & Public Affairs for UMass Boston. Of the 200 new, qualified candidates I found for them (and are now in their database), several made the final cut, so it was a very positive experience all around.

Paul Smiths, New York, Us

On President's Executive Cabinet, collaborated on college-wide strategic planning; directed all fundraising, communications, alumni relations, events, conference services; provided ongoing counsel to President on varied issues.• Strategized all major gift approaches, increasing face-to-face visits, cultivation events and solicitations.• Expanded major gifts program; identified significant untapped potential; increased regular, personalized contact.• Trained prominent board in cultivation, face-to-face solicitations; developed trustee recruitment standards, protocol.• Generated 15% increase in Annual Fund, surpassing budgeted goals.

The Greenhouse Project is a program of New York Sun Works dedicated to improving environmental science education in NYC public schools through a hands-on integrated curriculum and professional development.In partnership with Manhattan School for Children/PS333, The Greenhouse Project is building the Sun Works Center for Environmental Studies, a model laboratory based on our vision to empower grade-school children to make educated choices about their impact on the environment.A Greenhouse Project Laboratory will typically be built as a traditional greenhouse to accommodate an urban farm and environmental science laboratory. Grade school children will grow food, while learning hands-on about nutrition, water resource management, efficient land use, climate change, biodiversity, conservation, contamination, pollution, waste management, and sustainable development. To facilitate a hands-on learning environment, the Greenhouse Project Laboratory will include solar panels, a hydroponics growing system, a rainwater catchment system, a weather station and a kitchen corner. The greenhouse laboratory will operate as an integrated part of the school’s curricula and will prepare children to exceed New York City’s science standards.

Contracted to fill assist new CEO in transition when VP and associate positions were vacant in development department. I identified and wrote or edited all proposals and reports and created an overall fundraising and communications calendar, clarifying roles and timelines for staff (including finance and program). Initiated internal reporting systems, tracking giving history, projections and action plans for all donors. Worked with CEO to generate additional board engagement in fundraising and cultivation.

New York, Ny, Us

Brought in initially as a consultant to strengthen department: generate new and increased funding; build systems for identifying prospects and tracking timelines for proposals and reports; reconstruct giving histories, incorporating them into monthly budgeting reports I initiated.• Boosted fundraising skills and confidence in president, board, notably improving number of solicitations and success in generating increased income.• Oversaw major gifts effort, developed individualized strategies, timelines for each significant donor and prospect—resulting in increased giving of almost 15% within one year and five new six-figure gifts.• Increased foundation income by 60% and government by 50% in one year, and instituted internal institutional giving protocol. • On senior management team, created organization-wide direction and long-term plans.• Spearheaded systems to improve internal collaboration and alignment on fundraising, program development, implementation, financial reporting.• Developed communications strategies, ensuring timely and tailored contact with constituencies, clearly branding all media to convey key messages via consistent, clear content and design.• Constructed architecture, systems to track gifts, department workplans, results. Developed first monthly income projection, issuing ongoing reforecasts.• Restructured staffing, greatly increasing collective output.• Oversaw one annual gala and lead-up to another, each raising an average of 9% more than prior year.• Revamped the direct mail and online giving program.

As a consultant with a 12-month contract, I filled a position that had been open for some time and helped the organization expand its fundraising base by increasing board engagement in this arena, developing individualized strategies for major donors, and creating systems for tracking gifts and cultivation histories.• Coached board on best fundraising practices, developed official descriptions clarifying specific fundraising responsibilities of board and development committee, resulting in their deepened confidence in the overall development effort.• Strategic planning, creation of fundraising tracking and assessment tools, guidance in boosting major donor identification and cultivation plans, institutional funder protocols, proposal and report direction and editing.• Created short-term and long-term fundraising plans, assessing staffing and resource development plans and diagnosis of systemic and performance strengths and weaknesses.

New York, Us

Brought in for six-month assignment during staffing transition as senior development professional with new CEO from financial sector.• Coached CEO best fundraising practices; created strategies to engage board in fundraising, recruiting new members. • Prepared primers on pathway to robust development and briefing memos for donor meetings.• Researched, documented donor giving histories; created timelines, follow-up strategy for major donors, institutional funders; undertook large prospect research effort, producing significantly expanded income.• Created internal systems to maximize fundraising efforts.

Brooklyn, New York, Us

Provided strategic leadership, management of all fundraising, public relations, marketing for $20-million agency. As member of three-person senior team, guided all management for eight-month absence of CEO.• Generated almost $11 million in private funding annually, surpassing budgeted goals.• Developed fundraising plan supporting new strategic plan.• Worked with prominent board, trained them in cultivation, face-to-face solicitations. • Expanded major gifts program; increased regular, personalized contact.• Managed large media, communications effort, including significant celebrity advertising, engagement of top restauranteurs, press coverage.• Oversaw large direct mail effort; maintained support from institutional donors, special events, marketing, government.• Supervised 13

New York, Ny, Us

Managed all private sector fundraising programs, averaging $25 million annually.• Oversaw $110 million capital campaign, liaising closely with board, medical leadership, faculty.• Led major gifts effort, managed donor relations: identification, cultivation, solicitation.• Supervised proposals, reporting to institutional funders.• Oversaw stewardship, acknowledgment of corporate, foundation funders, annual donors; directed prospect research, tracking.• Staffed board's development committee, supported board, committee meetings.• With $2.9 million budget, supervised 14.• Strategized with public relations and marketing team in producing development materials.

New York, Ny, Us

Served as lead strategist and manager for $50-million collective campaigns at 20 branches and a city-wide campaign.• Trained 21 campaign chairs, committees, local boards, branch executives, senior leadership team on their roles in completing successful capital campaigns. • Wrote tailored, detailed manual on how to run all phases of capital campaign.• Created individualized campaign collateral for each branch including case statements, other materials.• Created an internal structure to support campaigns, hiring and supervising staff of 20. • Developed, implemented detailed prospect cultivation, solicitation strategies; tracking systems. • Built, managed $7-million campaign budget.

New York, New York, Us

• Managed department, generated agency’s $4-million annual budget. • Collaborated with prominent board, coordinated annual $1.1 million dinner, obtaining extensive press. • Launched $4-million major gifts campaign.

• Diversified income sources, initiated marketing plan, tripling revenues for eldercare advocacy program that included a heavily used, free hotline for caregivers needing guidance on nursing home residents' rights and best practices. • Generated sufficient funding to increase staff from one part-time to four full-time employees.• Expanded scope, adding Spanish-speaking staff and volunteers to free hotline.• Initiated, secured funding for two new programs.• Computerized office management, accounting; recruited pro-bono marketing, IT help.

• As first executive director, quadrupled event income, launched direct-mail program.• Created public relations strategy: generated TV features; broadened radio, print coverage, public service ads; increased volunteer office staff tenfold.• Developed major workplace literacy plan; created executive symposium, garnering extensive support of local press, top business leaders; enlarged outreach, services to new adult learners.• Expanded, diversified board of directors.

• Functioned as director of department: formulated, implemented public relations strategy, including advertising, publicity, speeches, newsletter, special events.• Coordinated all details of major event featuring the international organization’s President.

• Edited, produced weekly newspaper, writing majority of copy including weekly editorial.

• Handled all development, public relations• Managed membership for international environmental coalition.

Sounds

High School