Development and Communications: The Partnership, the Challenges, and the Keys to Success
Development and Communications fall under the same umbrella at many organizations and work side by side at others. What are the keys to a successful fundraising-focused communications strategy? Hear from three senior leaders and learn how they have adapted their approaches to fit varied size teams, a constantly changing landscape, and how they build a cohesive partnership.
Full participation in this program is applicable for 1.5 points in Category 1.B -Education of the CFRE International application for initial certification and/or recertification.
AGENDA:
- 9:00 AM – Registration, Coffee + Networking
- 9:15 AM – Panel Discussion
- 10:15 AM – Interactive Q&A
- 10:45 AM – Networking & Closing Remarks
SPEAKERS:
Shira Fisher, MPA
Chief Development Officer
BRC (Bowery Residents' Committee)
Shira Fisher, Chief Development Officer of BRC, has 20 years of experience in development and relationship building in the non profit sector. Leading BRC’s efforts in fundraising, communications, special events and volunteerism, Shira has helped BRC significantly grow philanthropic support and partnerships. Heading efforts to launch strategic communications initiatives, she has helped to put BRC on the map as a thought leader and innovator in the homeless services space. Prior to working at BRC, Shira was the Major Gifts Officer for World Union for Progressive Judaism where she spearheaded major donor giving efforts and established their annual fund. She also served as the Deputy Finance Director for Steve Israel for Congress. Shira received a Masters of Public Administration from Baruch College.
Barbara Kancelbaum
VP of Communications and Marketing
Henry Street Settlement
Barbara Kancelbaum is the VP of Communications & Marketing for Henry Street Settlement, the social services, arts, and health care nonprofit on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Barbara joined Henry Street in 2018 and is responsible for branding, traditional and digital publications, and media relations. Previously, she worked with multiple nonprofits, including several universities and foundations, as a writer, editor, and strategic communications consultant in the areas of health care, social justice, and law. A former communications director of Doctors Without Borders, she has a B.A. from Northwestern and M.S. in journalism from Columbia University.
Dr. Jocelynne Rainey
President and CEO
Brooklyn Org (BKO)
Dr. Jocelynne Rainey, Ed.D. is a leader in New York City’s nonprofit sector and a seasoned executive with over 25 years of leadership experience. As President & CEO, Dr. Rainey has led Brooklyn Org’s (BKO) bold evolution from Brooklyn Community Foundation to create a more inclusive and accessible model for community philanthropy. BKO has launched a new strategic plan to provide deeper support to nonprofit changemakers and marshal the resources required to end inequity in New York City’s largest borough.
Under Dr. Rainey’s leadership, Brooklyn Org has surpassed $150 million in total giving and expanded its sector-leading commitments to racial justice and community engagement. Dr. Rainey has championed a holistic participatory grantmaking approach in which all funding decisions are made in partnership with community members and annual Listening Tours that engage neighborhood residents in conversation to shape BKO’s funding and policy priorities.
Dr. Rainey also served as Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer for the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation (BNYDC) for nearly a decade, where she was a pivotal leader in transforming the historic site. She was the primary architect of BNYDC’s innovative workforce development program, a key executive who significantly redeveloped the Yard, dramatically increasing the number of small businesses and exponentially growing job opportunities in the area.
Her executive leadership at BNYDC included comprehensive oversight of workforce development, internal operations, security, and human resource strategies. During her tenure, Dr. Rainey played a critical role in repositioning the Brooklyn Navy Yard as a dynamic economic hub for New York City.
Dr. Rainey has also previously held leadership roles at Getting Out and Staying Out (GOSO), Independent Living Association, Home Depot, Boar’s Head, and specialty food retailer Agata and Valentina.
A graduate of Southern Connecticut State University, Dr. Rainey holds a master’s in administration from Metropolitan College and a doctorate in Leadership from St. John Fisher College. She is a member of the New York City Workforce Development Board, and a trustee of the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation, the Bridge Park Development Corporation, the New York College of Technology Foundation, Southern Connecticut State University Foundation, and the Mark Morris Dance Group.
Dr. Rainey is the recipient of several prestigious honors, including being named to The Network Journal’s 25 Influential Black Women in Business list, Schneps Media Brooklyn Power List, the Crain’s New York Business Notable Black Leaders and Executives, and City & State New York’s Brooklyn and Nonprofit Power list.
Leigh Reid
Associate Director, Development
NYU Langone Health
Leigh Reid serves as Associate Director of Development at NYU Langone Health, where she works to connect donors to meaningful opportunities in medical research, education, and patient care. She brings more than a decade of frontline fundraising experience and a genuine belief that the strongest partnerships start with curiosity.
What draws Leigh to healthcare is that it touches everyone, and the field is always evolving, always pushing toward what's next, and that constant learning suits her well. Before NYU Langone, Leigh served as head of development and communications at New Settlement and at Extreme Kids & Crew in Brooklyn, where she first learned what it really means to work in community, for community, and with community. Those years shaped how she thinks about relationships and mission-driven work to this day.
Her background spans major gifts, annual benefits, strategic planning, and her forte is developing a portfolio from the ground up. Leigh holds a bachelor's degree in Communications and International Studies from Penn State University and is a proud alumna of both the Cause Effective Fellows Program and Leadership Fellows New York.
Three years living in Prague, Czech Republic shaped her in ways she still draws on daily: the ability to adapt quickly, read a room, and meet people exactly where they are. She lives in Hastings-on-Hudson, NY with her husband, mom, and two young children, which keeps her both grounded and in a constant state of creative problem-solving.
