Susan J. Kern

  

Fundraising is all about relationships and no one understands relationships with people and donors better than Susan Kern. Susan recently "hung up her shingle" and used her twenty-plus skills and talents for your fundraising & public relations goals. She's worked with the entire age spectrum of individuals in her many non-profit experiences so she relates to everyone's needs...an expert! Susan is a seasoned, expert professional who demonstrates she can do it all. Call her for a conversation at 610.439.0813 or click here to email her. Perfect prices way below those large, high priced firms.

About Susan
CORE COMPETENCIES

• A skilled and experienced twenty year senior-level fundraiser and public relations professional with outstanding special event planner, offering a consistent record of success in varied fundraising positions in a non-profit environment; relates to a strong production, financial, supervisory, administrative, sales, relationship, and management background in any sector.
• A solid understanding of public relations (communications) and fundraising principles and methodologies with a very high energy level, resourceful, creative problem solver who is able to adapt to change, exercises sound judgment and able to coordinate multiple tasks.
• Very reliable, results-oriented and self-motivated, strong work ethic and the ability to build productive professional corporate relationships for the sake of the organization; attentive to detail, thorough and quality-oriented; able to plan and prioritize to meet deadlines, meet bottom-line objectives for my clients.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

SUSAN'S SAVVY & SOPHISTICATED CONSULTING
Development & Public Relations Consultant
July-present

• Planned, administered, and implemented LCT's signature fall 2009 event, "Emerald Evening-Go Green", a dinner, Philadelphia entertainment (live band) and auction; netted $59K for the resident's Benevolent Fund under a bleak economy with an audience of 260 guests, ran volunteer meetings and coordinated all volunteers for evening event for Lutheran Community at Telford.
• Coordinated Capital Campaign strategies with a Vice President at Schultz & Williams in Philadelphia to continue committee work and board fundraising asks; organized agendas and ran monthly committee meetings for LCT.
• Maintained a proactive, creative leadership role in the identification, cultivation, and solicitation of capital campaign gifts; researched online resources for new revenue and visited assigned donors for LCT.
• Served as the primary presenter, along with another board member from the Capital Campaign committee, at assigned sponsoring Lutheran churches in upper Bucks County with a Power Point presentation for client.
• One-person fundraising and public relations consultant to a Montgomery County community pool renovation to raise one million dollar fundraising goal; research all possibilities for raising funds from any source including government money.

WELLER HEALTH EDUCATION CENTER, Easton, PA
Vice President of Development
2007-2009

• Directed the activities of office personnel in the daily fundraising activities of a small nonprofit organization that was dedicated to providing 28 children's health programs to 500 schools in PA and NJ with a 1.3 million dollar budget.
• One-person fundraising shop-responsible for raising funds of $420K through direct mail, major gifts, grants, corporations, foundations, the PA Educational Improvement Tax Credit and an annual fall special event fundraising community breakfast, "Outstanding Friend to Kids" Award Breakfast for two years; in this annual event we raised $50K net to upgrade the children's educational school health programs and develop several new ones over the summer-added a small auction in 2008 to increase fundraising.
• Managed the grant program and followed the disbursement of those funds for health prevention programs to qualifying schools to see that all qualifications were met; included visits to grantors, periodic reports, and writing selective grants and reviewing potential grantors for a match to our mission.
• Developed and maintained excellent relationships with foundations, corporations, businesses and individual donors and visited those prospects/donors …corporations and individuals asking for sponsorships and partnerships for school health prevention programs, health funding and event underwriting.
• Organized and ran monthly development and special event meetings with community and corporate leaders/ volunteers…attended marketing meetings to add fundraising perspective, distributed handouts electronically beforehand and prepared agendas for volunteers to follow during the month.

KIDSPEACE, Orefield, PA
Director of Planned Giving and Visitation—Advancement
2005-2007

• Developed and maintained structured fundraising strategies detailing financial targets, timeframes and action for a planned giving program in multiple states; budget of this non-profit was $175 million.
• Identified and carried out background research on major gift prospects; actively networked and developed new prospect/donor relationships.
• Visited KidsPeace in and around Ellsworth, Maine (KidsPeace campus) four times a year and also traveled from Bangor, ME to Portland ME making major/planned gift appointments to visit KidsPeace staff, campuses, prospects and donors.
• Developed, wrote and submitted high quality funding proposals, applications and reports to KidsPeace major and planned gift donors.
• Monitored progress of Planned Giving appeals and produced monthly progress reports.
• Initiated and organized small, intimate, fundraising events for potential and existing planned gift donors that included tours of KidsPeace and also cultivate new donors into the planned giving arena.
• Organized and wrote articles for KidsPeace first Planned Giving publication and three newsletters — distributed it to targeted, donors (4000) twice a year. My territory included Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Northeast PA and New Jersey and traveled to sites to visit donors on my list.
• Prepared the first "Ways to Give" booklet for KidsPeace with help of consultant, Nathan Stelter of Iowa and wrote copy in conjunction with team of other professionals; distributed to KidsPeace qualified donors (500) through a direct mail program with a letter I wrote CEO.
• Created the first Planned Giving Advisory Board for KidsPeace consisting of attorneys, financial planners, and other professionals who guided decision-making on pending KidsPeace planned gifts and also found new planned gifts for KidsPeace future.
• Organized first Community Advisory Board for Berks County KidsPeace School and underwrote two children's carnivals and gifts for the first therapeutic garden for children at Berks County campus school in Reading, PA.

DIAKON LUTHERAN SOCIAL MINISTRIES, Topton, PA
Advancement Director
2001-2005

• Cultivated donor relationships, then visited them and used relationship skills that led to eventual major gifts or a planned gift; also assisted in coordinated fundraising events for a $200M non-profit organization. Managed major gift and planned gift requests to targeted donor audiences in assigned territory for Diakon Lutheran Ministries from Pottsville to Pottstown.
• Chaired committee for art and design for the 2004 and 2005 Benefactor's Dinner at the Topton campus.
• Coordinated fundraising efforts with East Penn Bank for Lutheran Home at Topton's Bazaar.
• Responsible for major gift solicitations and sponsorships at Manatawny Manor in Pottstown, Luther Ridge in Pottsville and shared responsibilities at Lutheran Home at Topton; scheduled appointments, made gift presentations and generated contributions for these Diakon facilities.
• Developed own prospects and relationships in assigned territories that included Lutheran Home at Topton, Luther Ridge in Pottsville, and Manatawny Manor in Pottstown by researching, identifying and qualifying potential donors in various territories.
• Called on major donors in assigned FL territory and utilized Moves Management program for 50 top donors.
• Produced the first fundraising special event for assisted living home, Luther Ridge at Seiders Hill, in Pottsville and exceeded fundraising goals for three years straight called Evening of Thanksgiving- Frank Schoenemann of Schoenemann Beauty Supply was honored and also Trinity Lutheran (major Lutheran church in Schuylkill County).; organized first silent auction for assisted living home in Pottstown-Manatawny Manor and Luther Ridge in Pottsville for fundraising, and ran monthly volunteer committee meetings for all special events.
• Consistently met or exceeded fundraising goals as part of a team of six major gift Diakon fundraisers.

LUTHERAN COMMUNITY AT TELFORD, Telford, PA
Director of Development and Public Relations
1993 - 2001

• Set-up, organized and coordinated first fundraising department for a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) with a $12M budget in upper Bucks County.
• Oversaw all public relations (internal and external), media relations, special event coordination, and volunteer coordination to increase all fundraising results for continuing care retirement community; visited 12 Lutheran churches, individual members and ministers; made presentations to sponsoring churches on Sundays from the pulpits and Sunday School classes.
• Produced a public relations/marketing video for this continuing care retiring community that received a state-wide third place award at PANPHA (PA Non-Profit Homes for the Aging) annual spring meeting.
• Developed and implemented volunteer program and grew it to 750 volunteers for all areas of the CCRC; assigned and organized all committee meetings for six yearly special events.
• Created biannual newsletters for internal and external audiences, The Lamplighter (external), and also monthly newsletters for 200 employees, In the Know; and coordinated departmental reporters.
• Developed and maintained positive public relations and giving relationships with churches, community leaders, businesses, residents and donors to increase fundraising goals.
• Increased auxiliary membership's direct mail campaign by 400% and increased annual fund campaign, The Century Club, by 600% in eight years by attending individual auxiliaries and visiting officers for gifts.
• Created and organized LCT's first planned gift program and produced a four-piece brochure with a letter mailing on bequests to initiate the idea of giving through one's will; later in the development of the planned giving plan, a" Legacy Society" was established to honor planned gift contributors that included a yearly dinner.

AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION OF LEHIGH VALLEY, Bethlehem, PA
Director of Development / Community Relations
1990-93

• Coordinated and organized all activities for the public relations, media relations, all fundraising and volunteer recruiting for this chapter of a national health organization.
• Produced three mission newsletters a year and mailed to audience of 3000, worked with printers, did all donor interviews and other articles… and organized volunteers for in-house mailing.
• Organized all fundraising pledge events such as challenge bike-a-thons, walks, 100th Emily Bissell year gala, developed Valentine cards with Wendy's coupons, with five Wendy stores, Extensive travel to national sites for national training on special event marketing and PR techniques.
• Created the first 100th year gala that raised enough money to begin first children's asthma camp in the Lehigh Valley-one year project for the ALA of the LV and camp still exists today.
• Ran a yearly fundraising golf tournament and evening dinner, solicited corporate 4-somes, other golfers, sponsors for holes and other areas of event, and later added a silent auction to event.

EDUCATION

CEDAR CREST COLLEGE, Allentown, PA
B.A. Degree - Communications-GPA -major 3.2
Undergraduate thesis on Corporate Public Relations and Social Responsibility-two community scholarships

• Minor — Business Administration
• Portal Certificate for Credit Work- Floater Worker in many different college offices for credit hours

SEMINARS / TRAINING

• Constant learning within the workplace and through career-related education in AFP sponsored meetings, along with continual involvement in independent research to enhance professional expertise.

LICENSURES / CERTIFICATIONS

Professional Fundraising Certification Association — Pursuing Certification…Completed the AFP CFRE Review Course & First Course

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

• Association of Fundraising Professionals of NE PA — Former Chairperson and Board Member, 2000-2004
• Involved in organization of National Philanthropy Day, four years and Membership Chair and 2 year Mentor to beginning fundraiser

Client List Available upon Request