Experience

New York Irish Center

• United States
• Civic and Social Organizations
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Senior Officer, Philanthropy and Strategy

  • Sep 2022 - Present

  My work with the New York Irish Center is focused on organizational development - including institutional strategic planning; fund development; grants-writing for foundations, corporations, and international, federal, state and local government agencies; strengthening financial, operations, and other management areas; developing DEI throughout the institution; and evaluation methodology and tracking. I have extensive experience leading and working in non-profit and international NGOs in the areas of fundraising and fund development strategic planning; organizational strategic planning; program development; and special events planning and implementation, among other areas. Show less



Eva Brune: Consultant

• Based in NYC and Virtual

• Development and Nonprofit Management Consultant

  • Jan 1994 - Jul 2023

  Advise museums, performing arts, historic sites, and educational organizations. Areas of expertise include fund development, capital campaigns, non-profit management, capital campaigns and annual fundraising campaigns. Board development, budget design, special events design, and strategic planning, among other NFP areas. I have served on the Board of Directors of the Alliance for Resident Theaters and Origin Theater Company. Have advised many organizations including the Rural China Education Fund, Vilna Shul-Boston historic landmark site, and Mayan Families, among other organizations. Available: NYC-area, national, international, and remotely. Show less



Museum at Eldridge Street

• Museums, Historical Sites, and Zoos
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Vice President for Institutional Advancement

  • Apr 2003 - May 2022

  As a one-person shop, I designed all fund development activities. Working in partnership with the Board of Directors and Executive Director, my accomplishments included: (1) Personally solicited contributed income representing 80% (most years) to 94% (2021) of the institution’s annual operating income, resulting in annual positive operating fund balances; (2) Helped grow the institution’s operating budget from $400,000 at the start of my tenure to $1.7 million in 2021, exceeding contributed income goals each year; (3) Oversaw successful $20 million capital campaign; (4) Designed gala and special events that net between $350,000 and $900,000; (5) Designed and managed planned giving program, resulting in receipt of close to $1 million in bequests during my tenure; (6) Wrote and implemented acquisition and renewal direct mail appeals that annually raised between $100,000 and $125,000; (7) Secured and managed U.S. and NYS Department of Homeland Security grants; (8) During COVID, secured two PPP loans (which were forgiven) and an EIDL grant, totaling over $270,000; (9) Wrote federal grants (National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, Institute for Museum and Library Services); state grants (NYS Assembly; NYS-Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation; NYS Council on the Arts); and local grants (NYC-Department of Cultural Affairs, NYC-Department for the Aging, NYC-Department for Youth and Community, Borough President - cultural tourism and community development grants), and New York City Council grants; (10) Worked collaboratively with Museum staff to develop educational programs, cultural programs, and special projects; (11) Guided annual financial audits, and institutional and project budgeting; (12) Wrote NYS Board of Regents proposal that secured museum status for the institution; (13) Worked closely with Executive Director and senior staff on strategic planning. Website: www.eldridgestreet.org Show less



Dance Theatre of Harlem

• United States
• Performing Arts
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Director of Development

  • Jan 2001 - Mar 2003

  Among my accomplishments: (1) Built and oversaw six- member development team; (2) Raised in $5 million in contributed income annually (exceeding annual fund goals during each year of my tenure); (3) Secured $1.95 million in capital and equipment funds; (4) Designed and oversaw various fundraising events in tour cities; (5) Identified, cultivated and solicited major donors nationwide. Website: www.dancetheatreofharlem.org Among my accomplishments: (1) Built and oversaw six- member development team; (2) Raised in $5 million in contributed income annually (exceeding annual fund goals during each year of my tenure); (3) Secured $1.95 million in capital and equipment funds; (4) Designed and oversaw various fundraising events in tour cities; (5) Identified, cultivated and solicited major donors nationwide. Website: www.dancetheatreofharlem.org



Young Audiences, Inc

• New York, NY

• National Headquarters Development Director

  • Jan 1998 - Jan 2001

  Young Audiences is a national arts-in-education service organization that provides artist and teacher professional development, and live cultural programming nationwide. I worked closely with dozens of local chapters, providing them with guidance on contributed income generation, artist and teacher professional development programs, and institutional growth strategies. At that time, Young Audiences chapters served 7,900 schools and 8 million youth annually. Working closely with Executive Director and Board of Directors, among my accomplishments: (1) Managed $2.5 million annual fund campaign for national operations, exceeding annual fund goals each year of my tenure; (2) With Executive Director and program consultant, secured multi-year sponsorship and government contracts totaling close to $4 million for multi-city Arts for Learning school district-based initiative, including the institution*s first NEA Leadership Grant ($500,000); (3) With Executive Director, developed planned giving program with commitments of $1.6 million during my tenure; and (4) Helped secure funds for educational initiatives in Miami-Dade County, Chicago and Pittsburgh. Website: www.youngaudiences.org Show less



The CityKids Foundation

• New York, NY

• Managing Director

  • Jan 1996 - Jan 1998

  Managed educational organization directly serving at-risk teenagers. Among my accomplishments: (1) Worked with Founding Artistic Director to develop a job-training initiative that resulted in dozens of youth summer jobs annually; (2) Secured funds to increase institutional budget from $500,000 (FY96) to $2 million (FY98) while retiring inherited $150,000 debt; (3) Assisted in securing four-year, full-tuition college scholarships for former school dropouts; (4) Working closely with Founding Artistic Director, managed staff of 12. Website: www.citykids.com Show less



Big Apple Circus

• United States
• Performing Arts
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Director of Annual Fund

  • Jan 1994 - Jan 1996

  Responsible for designing and exceeding annual fund campaign goals for $13 million cultural and educational not-for-profit performing arts organization. Oversaw and worked closely with seven-member development team. Accomplishments included: (1) Increased contributed income by 20% each year of my tenure; (2) Designed and managed 35 cultivation and solicitation events annually; (3) Identified and worked with colleagues to secure $1.5 million, two-year tour sponsorship. Website: www.bigapplecircus.org Show less



INTAR Hispanic American Arts Center

• New York, NY

• Managing Director

  • Sep 1988 - Jan 1994

  Directed overall management, board relations, strategic planning, fund development, financial operations, audience expansion, and hiring and management of non-artistic staff for Latinx theatre, training, and visual arts cultural center. During my tenure I: (1) Increased budget from $500,000 to $1.2 million; (2) Produced 20 World or American opera/theatre premieres; (3) Secured National Endowment for the Arts Challenge Grant of $500,000 and $425,000 in working capital reserves from various institutional funders; and (4) Worked with Theatre and Visual Arts Gallery Artistic Directors to develop and implement program enhancements including bi-lingual exhibition catalogues and educational program that increased audience from 800 to 2,500 K-12 youth by the close of my tenure. Website: www.intartheatre.org Show less



West Coast Companies

• Bay Area (CA) and Anchorage (AK)

• Other Career Appointments (1978-1988)

  • Jan 1979 - Dec 1987

  Worked at a number of organizations at the start of my career including: A Traveling Jewish Theatre, San Francisco, CA. Director of Development and Community Outreach. Oversaw solicitation training, multi-city fundraising events, and annual fundraising campaign. Increased contributed income by 50% during my tenure. Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA. Major Gifts Campaign Associate. Focus area: $10,000+ individual donors. Worked closely with Campaign Chairman to manage tele-fundraising event involving 1,000 volunteers. Responsible for travel logistics for international solicitation missions. Pro Arts/Alameda County Neighborhood Arts Association, Oakland, CA. Associate Director: Worked closely with Executive Director on fundraising and marketing for 23 fiscal agent arts clients. Worked with team to create and implement the first annual Bay Area Artist Studio Tour. Worked as member of arts consortium that successfully petitioned the Oakland City Council for 100% increase in city-wide cultural funding. Visual Arts Center of Alaska, Anchorage, AK. Curator and Program Director. Curated 16 exhibitions with accompanying catalogue design and essays, 12 special events, and 20 week-long artist residencies. Working closely with Executive Director, managed 10,000 sq. ft. facility including five art studios and gallery. Responsible for raising annual fund and exhibition corporate sponsorships. Helped plan and solicit gifts for $1 million capital campaign. Led critique-team that reviewed the work of 50 resident artists. Sonoma County Arts Council, Santa Rosa, CA. Assistant Director and Visual Arts Program Director. Curated exhibitions for and managed four regional galleries. Designed and brokered distribution of Northern California Crafts Trail Map, a tourist guide showcasing more than 50 artist studios. Co-produced annual weekend arts festival featuring 100 artists and craftspeople, and involving more than 100 volunteers. Show less