Individual Giving Specialist, Planned Giving Director, Community Engag

Carson Jean Nicklaus

** ******** ***** *********, *** York 11787

631-***-**** ******************@*****.***

Work Experience :

Donor Relations Coordinator

Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund (CELDF)

PO Box 360

Mercersburg, PA 17236

January 2024 – June 2024

The primary focus of the CELDF Donor Relations Coordinator is stewardship of small to medium individual donors and building and sustaining a positive relationship between CELDF and its donors. The position was responsible for:

I. Implementing donor relations activities and engaging with small to medium donors as part of a larger development plan; II. Ensure tracking of donor relations activities;

III. Promote and track planned gifts; IV. Oversee individual donor giving data; V. Assist with other projects of the Development Team; VI. Coordinate with the Communications Team to implement e-marketing and social media campaigns as they relate to individual giving;

and VII. Assist with administrative duties as needed.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

• Cultivate, appreciate, nurture, retain and grow existing small to medium individual donors

• Develop plans and processes for donor relations activities

• Implement, improve, and maintain systems for donor relations activities

• Ensure accurate and timely upkeep of donor data in the donor management database

• Oversee fundraising campaigns

• Support the Development Team and Executive Director in other areas of donor cultivation

• Assist in generating donor relations communications and materials; Maintain physical and electronic donor communication materials.

Director of Charitable Giving

Mather Hospital Northwell Health

Port Jefferson, New York 11777

August 2017 - August 2023

Responsible for cultivation and stewardship of existing major gift and planned giving donors, including events, in-person meetings, phone, mail, and e-mail contact.

* Conduct and present prospect research reports to identify donors. Manages information and tracking in donor database on all major gift and planned giving prospects and donors. Supports and assists fundraising staff in executing other fundraising activities, becoming familiar with, and interfacing with the entire donor base.

* Solicitation of prospects and current donors for new major and planned legacy gifts in support of Mather Hospital.

* Responsible for the preparation of major gifts and planned gift proposals. These proposals can be part of a larger campaign or based on a prospect’s interest in a program.

* Author, edit, and publish informational marketing materials for donors, including but not limited to bi-annual newsletters, gift planning vehicle informational brochures, blog articles, and website content.

* Work in collaboration with the VP of Public Affairs, key lead volunteers, and JTM Foundation board members, as well as external estate planning, financial planning, tax, and law experts regarding planned giving programs. Serves as a primary contact with staff, leadership, and volunteers for all major gift and planned giving activities.

*Manage recognition programs for major gift and planned giving donors. Most notably, the John T. Mather Legacy Society.

Supervising Paralegal

Genser, Dubow, Genser, & Cona, LLP

Melville, New York 11747

June 2016 – April 2017

* Responsible for the drafting of all estate planning documents for the firm’s clients. Oversight of the Estate Planning and Estate Administration paralegals

* Preparation of all documents pertaining to the administration of an estate, whether the deceased passed intestate and Letters of Administration needed to be petitioned for in the County Surrogate’s Court, or if there was an estate plan in place at the death to present all relevant documentation to Surrogate’s Court to initiate a probate proceeding.

*Responsible for the life of an estate litigation, preparation of intake, complaint or answer documents, preparation of simple forensic accounting and gift and/or estate tax preview, point of contact and liaison between clients, attorneys, third-party firms and vendors, state, local, and federal government entities, and the court system.

*Responsible for the estate administration of bank accounts and records; all expenses of the estate would be audited and prepared for the court to review. Any outstanding expenses due upon the death of the client would be paid through the estate bank account. These duties required meticulous attention to detail since everything related to that file was to be reviewed by the Surrogate’s Court. Estate administration also requires a great deal of preparation, anticipation, patience, and understanding. Working in collaboration with the partners at the firm, as a liaison for the Court, and as an advocate for those involved in the estate – especially if there were minors involved. You must earn and develop a deep sense of trust with attorneys, family members, court members, financial institutions, and advisors, to be able to effectively perform the everyday tasks needed for estate planning and estate administration works.

Paralegal

Twomey, Latham, Shea, Kelley, Dubin & Quartararo

Riverhead, New York 11901

April 2013 - June 2016

* Prepare Estate Planning documents for clients, including Last Will and Testaments, Health Care Proxies, Living Wills, Powers of Attorney and Statutory Major Gifts Riders, Irrevocable and Revocable Trusts, and Appointment for Agent of Disposition of Remains.

* Prepare and draft Medicaid Applications for both Chronic Care and Community Medicaid clients; gather information from clients and perform forensic accounting of all financial documentation, transfer/re-title assets as necessary; correspond with financial institutions, clients, Department of Social Services, NYSARC/CDR, nursing homes and managed care agencies.

* Draft and review documents for real estate transactions, including, but not limited to, Contracts of Sale, Rider to Contract, Pre-Possession and Post-Possession Agreements, Lease Agreements, Powers of Attorney, Deeds, and Ancillary transfer documents. Order and review title reports. Coordinate closings with other attorneys, sellers/purchasers, real estate salespeople, title companies, and banks. Prepare closing statements and documents (including title policies and recorded deeds) for clients after the real estate transaction has commenced. Responsible for the life of the file from contract to closing.

* Oversight and training of the Estate Planning and Estate Administration paralegals.

* Preparation of all documents pertaining to the administration of an estate, whether the deceased passed intestate and Letters of Administration needed to be petitioned for in the County Surrogate’s Court, or if there was an estate plan in place at the death to present all relevant documentation to Surrogate’s Court to initiate a probate proceeding. Responsible for the drafting of all estate planning documents for the firm’s clients.

*Responsible for the estate administration of bank accounts and records; all expenses of the estate would be audited and prepared for the court to review. Any outstanding expenses due upon the death of the client would be paid through the estate bank account. These duties required meticulous attention to detail since everything related to that file was to be reviewed by the Surrogate’s Court. Estate administration also requires a great deal of preparation, anticipation, patience, and understanding. Working in collaboration with the partners at the firm, as a liaison for the Court, and as an advocate for those involved in the estate – especially if there were minors involved. You must earn and develop a deep sense of trust with attorneys, family members, court members, financial institutions, and advisors, to be able to effectively perform the everyday tasks needed for estate planning and estate administration works.

Paralegal

Margot J. Garant, Esq. and Eric D. Cherches, Esq.

Port Jefferson, New York 11777

July 2009 - April 2013

Draft Estate Planning documents for clients, including Last Will and Testaments, Health Care Proxies, Living Wills, HIPAA Release Authorizations, Powers of Attorney, Statutory Major Gifts Riders, and Appointment for Agent of Disposition of Remains and Trusts.

* Preparation of documents for the Surrogate’s Court such as Probate, Administration, Successor Custodian, and Guardianship Petitions. Responsible for the life of the file from intake to receipt of Letters Testamentary, Administration, or Guardianship.

* Draft deeds and ancillary real estate transfer documents. Forward executed deeds to title companies or County Clerks to file and then to clients along with all closing documents once recorded.

* Coordinate closings with other attorneys, sellers/purchasers, real estate salespeople, title companies, and banks.

* Responsible for the preparation of all documents for Family Court proceedings, including child support violation, enforcement, and visitation petitions

.* Prepare documents to create or dissolve corporations, LLCs, S Corporation) In connection with the corporations, certain estate planning and estate administration files, obtain and file Federal Taxpayer identification numbers.

Education:

Purdue University Global Law School

Los Angeles, California

2012-2015

Juris Doctor (JD)

Siena College

Loudonville, New York

1994-1998

Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Political Science

Academic Concentration in Environmental Studies

Minors in Sociology & History

Stony Brook University - School of Professional Development

Stony Brook, New York 11790

January - May 2007

Paralegal Certificate Program

Academic Awards:

All American Scholar

National Student Government Award

Siena College President’s Leadership Award

Professional Distinctions:

Northwell Health Raise Health Ambassador

Northwell Health Thrive.com Role Model

Professional Memberships:

American Public Health Association

New York State Public Health Association

National Institutes of Health (NIH) – All of Us research program

National Alliance on Mental Illness

Women in Public Health

Association of Healthcare Philanthropy

Association of Fundraising Professionals

Philanthropic Planning Group of Greater New York

National Association of Charitable Gift Planners

National Association of Estate Planners

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