Development Officer Social Media
Resume:
Jackie Thomas-Suggs
Laurel, MD 21076
************@*****.***
To Whom it May Concern
Re: Development Officer
I appreciate the opportunity to submit my resume for consideration for a leadership fundraising position. I feel uniquely qualified to apply because of my current and former positions and my career dedication to the art of fundraising, constituent engagement, and non-profit management. I am currently employed as the Chief Development Officer with the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland. When I was hired in 2020, the position of Chief Development Officer has been vacant for two years. My predecessor was gifted in Marketing & Communications but lacked fundraising experience. Fund Development operations had come to a standstill. I was charged with three priorities; 1. execute the largest annual fundraiser, 2. execute the annual fund campaign and 3. Close phase I of the capital campaign. Before my first day in the office, the Covid shutdown and remote operations became the reality. I literally began in a vacuum. I instituted a successful virtual event that achieved the $250K goal. Instituted a social media funding plan that realized the budgeted goal for the End of Year and Holiday appeals. I was successful in closing out the first phase of the stagnated capital campaign with two gifts of two million each. I feel these accomplishments were beyond exceptional, because of the limitations of working during a national shutdown.
I have over 40 years of advancement experience which includes higher education, and national not for profits organizations. From January 2017 till October 2019, I was a contractor with Clark Atlanta University assisting the Board of Trustees in restructuring the Office of Institutional Advancement. I have also had positions with Fisk, Howard, and James Madison Universities where I served as Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations and Capital Campaign Director. I have extensive experience in government funding requirements and private foundation operations having secured grants from the National Science, Gates, Microsoft, and Ford foundations.
Over the years, I have obtained skills in non-profit management, fundraising, donor stewardship, board development, grants management both from the funder and awardee perspective. I have vast experience in identifying major corporate, foundation and government funding opportunities, as well as cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of high-net-worth donors and sustaining annual donors. For the last 10 years I have been a board member of the National Catholic Development Conference, an active member and trainer with the Association of Fund-Raising Professionals, as well as a trainer in fund development for the Girl Scouts of the USA. I received my CFRE certification over 20 years ago and currently I am a trainer and CFRE mentor. Last year I completed a post graduate program at Harvard University in fundraising focused on social, venture and impact development.
My resume details my professional experience in program development, administrative management, board management and fundraising. I have raised money, supervised staffs, written fundraising and development plans, produced annual reports and brochures, and edited the web-site to reflect new processes and successful news worthy articles. What is harder to explain in a standard resume is the process for establishing and maintaining partnerships that enable the mission to be accomplished. In every position I have had I have been responsible for identifying, cultivating, establishing and maintaining strategic alliances with all levels of partnerships, from grass-root groups to major corporations who hope to access the constituents I represent to market their products and services. Partnerships are also important in developing relationships with major progressive funders who believe in the mission.
I hope to hear from you regarding this very interesting and exciting position.
Sincerely,
Jackie Thomas-Suggs
Contact this candidate