WEBINAR SERIES

Geoffrey S. Close, CIMA®, CPWA®, CAP™

Founder and Philanthropic Advisor, IMPACT Philanthropic Partners

Tuesday, November 19, 2024 -- 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM Eastern

Webinar Title: Case Studies in Gift Planning

The learning objectives are:

• Becoming knowledgeable of certain Gift Planning strategies for use in fundraising activities with donors

• Recognizing Gift Planning opportunities from donor profiles through case studies

• Being able to recommend and implement Gift Planning strategies from experience with case studies

Biography:

Geoffrey Close, Founder and a Philanthropic Advisor with IMPACT Philanthropy Partners dispenses pro-bono philanthropic advice to non-profit organizations and their constituents who aspire to build long-term sustainability.  Drawing upon his 40-year experience as a First Vice President and client facing Private Wealth Advisor with Morgan Stanley, where he served retirees, high net worth individuals, corporations, foundations, and non-profit organizations, he offers educational and informational philanthropic advice.

Geof, being community minded, is a 40-year Rotarian, currently serving on the board of the Albemarle County Rotary Club, in Charlottesville Virginia, where he resides. He is also a board member of CAPGC, the Charlottesville Area Planned Giving Council and is a member of the Central Virginia Chapter of AFP, the Association of Fundraising Professionals, as well as VAFRE, the Virginia Association of Fund-Raising Executives.  He also serves on numerous developments, planned giving and finance committees for local organizations.

Prior to his retirement and relocation to Virginia, Geof served as a board member of NJCGP, AFP-NJ, where he was treasurer on two separate occasions, and the Morristown Rotary Club, where he also served as Treasurer, as well as serving on numerous alumni, development, planned giving and finance committees for New Jersey organizations.

Geof holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Virginia. He maintains the CIMA®, Certified Investment Management Analyst and CPWA® Certified Private Wealth Analyst designations promulgated through IWI, The Investment and Wealth Institute and offered through the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and the Booth School at the University of Chicago. He also maintains the CAP™, Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy from the American College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.

Geof lives with his wife of 47 years in Charlottesville VA. He has a son and daughter in law and 2 grandsons living in Guilford CT and a daughter and son in law who are expecting a son living in Christchurch, NZ.

While the advice Geof dispenses may contain Tax, Legal and Investment implications, this advice is of purely of an educational and informational nature. Neither Geof nor IMPACT Philanthropy Partners dispense Tax, Legal or Investment advice.

-CE Credit 1 pt

LOU KOTSINIS

CEO and Co-Founder of BCS Interactive

Thursday, November 21, 2024 -- 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM Eastern

Webinar Title: Refining Your Nonprofit’s Website for Growth and Happy Donors

As a fundraiser, you know how critical your website is in engaging donors and capturing donations. But with everything on your plate, where do you find time to focus on your website? And where do you even begin?

Luckily, improving your website doesn’t need to be a huge lift. And it doesn’t necessarily mean a complete redesign.

Instead, by focusing on a few key elements, you can ensure your website carries its weight in your donor funnel and delivers the three qualities that drive donors to give: Trust, impact and mission. Best of all? You don’t need to be a designer or programmer to do it.

In this informative and interactive session, you’ll learn:

1. The three most important areas to focus on for a high-performing website

2. Improvements you can make that will have an immediate impact on site quality

3. Processes and tools to help you keep your site optimized on an on-going basis

Biography:

Lou Kotsinis is CEO and Co-Founder of BCS Interactive, a digital marketing agency focused exclusively on the nonprofit and educational communities. Since co-founding the agency in 2011, Lou oversees a team of designers, technologists, strategists that help nonprofits:

●     Attract and engage donors through high-quality website design and digital storytelling

●     Build awareness via paid search and social media advertising

●     Grow their mission through smart digital strategy

Prior to BCS Interactive, Lou served as Marketing Manager at Time Warner Trade Publishing/Little, Brown, the book-publishing arm of Time Warner where he developed marketing campaigns for titles distributed into independent bookstores across the nation.

Lou graduated from Rutgers University, New Brunswick with a B.A. in English and History. His interests include hiking, reading, and practicing yoga. He’s passionate about political reform and pro-democracy efforts and is an advocate of initiatives such as FairVote and Protect Democracy. A life-long musician, Lou plays drums in a jazz trio and participates in local symphonies as an orchestral drummer. He lives in Westfield, NJ with his wife and two daughters.

-CE Credit 1 pt

LORI FUNICELLO, CFRE

Director, Planned Giving at the Kean University Foundation

Tuesday, November 26, 2024 -- 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM Eastern

Webinar Title: The Power of Planned Gifts

The learning objectives are:

• Learn how to revitalize your legacy society to increase overall philanthropic revenue (both deferred and outright) to your organization.

• Explore ways to maximize campaign support by documenting planned gifts.

• Recognize what motivates donors to include a planned gift in their estate plans for your charity.

Biography:

Lori Funicello, CFRE, currently serves as the Director of Planned Giving at the Kean University Foundation. Lori is a mission-driven development professional with over twenty years of experience in both colleges and university as well as major medical centers and hospital systems. She began her career at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC), where she served as Director of Development and was responsible for securing significant philanthropic support to advance medical research during a university-wide $1 billion campaign. After earning her master’s degree while at Columbia, Lori decided to accept a new role at Bank Street College of Education, where she was responsible for establishing a major gifts program in anticipation of a multi-million-dollar comprehensive campaign. In addition to her tenure at Columbia University Medical Center and Bank Street College of Education, Lori has served in leadership roles at New Jersey City University, Caldwell University and Clara Maass Medical Center.

Lori is passionate about raising funds to support first-generation college students from diverse and underserved backgrounds. She believes that higher education has a lasting and transformative impact which can permanently change the trajectory of the lives of students and their families for generations to come.

Lori holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from SUNY New Paltz and a master’s degree in higher education administration from Teachers College, Columbia University. Committed to her professional community, Lori serves as a member at large of the New Jersey Council of Charitable Gift Planners Board of Directors.

When she is not working at the Kean University Foundation, Lori enjoys the outdoors and spends her weekends hiking, biking, and practicing yoga when she is not cheering for her children at various sporting events. She lives in Rockaway, New Jersey, with her husband and family.

-CE Credit 1 pt

AUDREY P. KINTZI, MS, ACFRE, FAFP

Vice President, Emerita for Advancement and the Executive Director of the M. A. in Philanthropy and Development Program at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota

Monday, December 2, 2024 -- 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM Eastern

Webinar Title: Ethics – What's in it for Me? Doing the Right Thing Even When No One is Looking.

This interactive session explores the practical application of ethical principles in fundraising through the lens of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) newly revised Code of Ethics. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of how ethical considerations impact daily fundraising operations and learn to navigate complex ethical scenarios.

Learning Objectives

• Understand the AFP Code of Ethics as a foundational framework for ethical fundraising
• Apply ethical principles to real-world fundraising scenarios
• Identify and address potential ethical conflicts in professional practice
• Develop strategies for maintaining donor trust and organizational integrity

Biography:

Audrey Kintzi is the Vice President, Emerita for Advancement and the Executive Director of the M. A. in Philanthropy and Development Program at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. 

Ms. Kintzi has been working in the development field for 40 years. Before joining Saint Mary’s Kintzi was the Executive Vice President for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Minnesota Chapter, the VP/Chief Development Officer for Courage Center, the Chief Advancement Officer for the Girl Scout Council of St. Croix Valley and the Chief Development Officer for the American Red Cross of the St. Paul Area.

In 1991, she obtained the designation of CFRE (Certified Fundraising Executive). In October of 2004 she obtained her ACFRE (Advanced Certified Fundraising Executive).  In February of 2001, Kintzi was awarded the Paid-Staff Excellence Award for Disaster Fundraising by the American National Red Cross. In November 2004 Kintzi received the Outstanding Fundraising Professional from the Association of Fundraising Professionals - Minnesota Chapter. AFP Global named her a 2023 AFP Global Distinguished Fellow (FAPF).  Kintzi currently serves as a member of the AFP Research Council, the AFP ICON Education Advisory Committee and the AFP ACFRE Credentialing Board. Kintzi is a certified AFP Master Trainer and holds a Certificate in Philanthropic Psychology (with Distinction) from the Institute for Sustainable Philanthropy.

-CE Credit 1 pt

Suzanne Albin

Vice President, Client Partnership, The Angeletti Group

Tuesday, December 3, 2024 -- 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM Eastern

Webinar Title: From Bored to Engaged: Energizing Your Board for an Impactful Strategic Planning Process

The strategic planning process is an opportunity to involve your board in essential long-term goal setting and the creation of the framework necessary to move your organization’s mission and vision forward. During this webinar, we will discuss strategies to elicit buy-in from board members and the benefits of fostering a culture of engagement. We will also highlight common challenges encountered during strategic planning and discuss ways to overcome them.

Learning objectives:

1. Strategies to elicit buy-in by board members to the process and the plan

2. Benefits of fostering a culture of engagement

3. Common challenges encountered and ways to overcome them

Biography:

Suzanne Albin is an experienced nonprofit consultant and influential leader who is active with organizations on both the community and national levels. She brings her skills, knowledge and passion to help nonprofit organizations achieve their goals and increase their impact to The Angeletti Group. Suzanne is able to approach each assignment from a variety of unique stakeholder perspectives, whether working with board or staff, donors, or other community stakeholders. She combines the ability to develop trusting relationships with keen research and analytical skills, enabling her to help clients fulfill their objectives.

Prior to joining The Angeletti Group, she was Senior Vice President at another New Jersey consulting firm, where she led and managed client engagements that included capital campaign management, campaign planning and feasibility studies, executive search, strategic planning, and development assessments. Before becoming a consultant, Suzanne spent more than 25 years in the legal field as a business and real estate attorney. In addition to having established her own practice, she was Of Counsel to the law firm of Newman Ferrara LLP, and was a partner of Borah, Goldstein, Altschuler, Nahins & Goidel, P.C.

Suzanne received her J.D. from New York Law School and her B.A. in Public Affairs from The George Washington University. She is also certified in Advanced Commercial Mediation in the State of New York, certified as a Professional Recruiter by the American Staffing Association, and obtained a certificate in Talent Acquisition & Planning from Cornell University.

Suzanne belongs to several professional associations, including the Association of Fundraising Professionals, the Association of Nonprofit Specialists, and various bar associations. She is a past president of the board of NJY Camps, a past president and executive committee member of the JCC of Central New Jersey, and a member of the Board of Directors of the JCC Association of North America. She lives in Westfield, New Jersey with her husband Rob and rescue dog Teddy and has two adult daughters.

-CE Credit 1 pt

Molly McGarry

Senior Director of Annual Giving

Tuesday, December 10, 2024 -- 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM Eastern

Webinar Title: A New High Score: How NJ's Urban Research University Grew its Annual Giving Program

Learning Objectives:

Kean University Foundation saw a record-breaking FY23 by raising funds through donor participation, various new revenue streams, and a historic Founders Day (annual day of giving). With a new University President as of 2020, and an annual giving department of one, come learn about ways to increase awareness and revenue. Through this interactive lecture-led discussion, participants will have the opportunity to engage throughout the entire presentation by open-ended conversation and comprehensive visual slides. Upon completion, participants will be able to prioritize the needs and wants of their annual giving program and implement examples of stewardship, events, direct mail, phone, text and social components to grow their annual giving program.

Biography:

Molly McGarry currently holds the position of Senior Director of Annual Giving. She manages a critical role for the Foundation by seeking funds to increase unrestricted and restricted support. Molly is responsible for the planning, execution and management of the comprehensive annual giving program which includes cultivating, soliciting and stewarding the Kean University community.

Most recently, Molly served as Interim Director of Advancement and Director of Annual Giving for The Elisabeth Morrow School (EMS). Prior to her time at EMS, Molly held a principal tenured position at the Holy Name Medical Center Foundation as Manager of Development, where she consistently achieved results across all individual giving programs, including Grateful Patient, Employee and the Founders Circle Giving Society.

Molly is a high-performing, results-driven fundraising generalist with experience in annual giving, capital campaigns, grant writing and special events, as well as volunteer and board partnerships and committees. Molly earned a bachelor’s degree in public relations from York College of Pennsylvania.

-CE Credit 1 pt (Pending Approval)

Anthony Alonso

Fundraising Consultant

Thursday, December 12, 2024 -- 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM Eastern

Webinar Title: Empowering Change: Exploring the Influence, Trends, and Education of the Hispanic and Latinx Community in American Philanthropy

Learning Objectives:

1. The Impact of Hispanic and Latinx philanthropy.

2. Explore the unique approaches and cultural values that underpin Hispanic and Latinx philanthropy.

3. Dive into the latest trends and innovations in philanthropic practices within the Hispanic and Latinx community.

4. Explore the pivotal role of education in nurturing a culture of philanthropy among Hispanic and Latinx individuals and families.

5. Discuss the importance of forging partnerships and collaborations between the Hispanic and Latinx community and other philanthropic stakeholders.

Biography:

Anthony is one of the nation’s leading fundraising consultants with over three decades of expertise in direct marketing and telefundraising. Anthony’s out-of-the-box thinking, visionary style, and passion for success has led him to raise close to a billion dollars for his clients over the last ten years.

Prior to co-founding Catapult Fundraising, Anthony served as the Founder and President of Advantage Plus Consulting for over 20 years. Anthony has served on the boards of AFP New Jersey, The Giving Institute, Giving USA, the AFP Foundation for Philanthropy, and was a founding member of the AFP Industry Partners Council. He is a proud recipient of the AFP New Jersey Chapter Award for Consulting Excellence and the AFP Las Vegas Award for Outstanding Fundraising Executive. Anthony is also a past president of the AFP Las Vegas Chapter.

Outside of the office, Anthony enjoys Las Vegas’ finest restaurants and watching world-class shows. He also enjoys spending time with his wife, two teenage children and watching the New York Yankees.

-CE Credit 1 pt

LORI FUNICELLO, CFRE

Director, Planned Giving at the Kean University Foundation

Tuesday, November 26, 2024 -- 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM Eastern

Webinar Title: The Power of Planned Gifts

The learning objectives are:

• Learn how to revitalize your legacy society to increase overall philanthropic revenue (both deferred and outright) to your organization.

• Explore ways to maximize campaign support by documenting planned gifts.

• Recognize what motivates donors to include a planned gift in their estate plans for your charity.

Biography:

Lori Funicello, CFRE, currently serves as the Director of Planned Giving at the Kean University Foundation. Lori is a mission-driven development professional with over twenty years of experience in both colleges and university as well as major medical centers and hospital systems. She began her career at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC), where she served as Director of Development and was responsible for securing significant philanthropic support to advance medical research during a university-wide $1 billion campaign. After earning her master’s degree while at Columbia, Lori decided to accept a new role at Bank Street College of Education, where she was responsible for establishing a major gifts program in anticipation of a multi-million-dollar comprehensive campaign. In addition to her tenure at Columbia University Medical Center and Bank Street College of Education, Lori has served in leadership roles at New Jersey City University, Caldwell University and Clara Maass Medical Center.

Lori is passionate about raising funds to support first-generation college students from diverse and underserved backgrounds. She believes that higher education has a lasting and transformative impact which can permanently change the trajectory of the lives of students and their families for generations to come.

Lori holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from SUNY New Paltz and a master’s degree in higher education administration from Teachers College, Columbia University. Committed to her professional community, Lori serves as a member at large of the New Jersey Council of Charitable Gift Planners Board of Directors.

When she is not working at the Kean University Foundation, Lori enjoys the outdoors and spends her weekends hiking, biking, and practicing yoga when she is not cheering for her children at various sporting events. She lives in Rockaway, New Jersey, with her husband and family.