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| New Jersey Law Association Raises the Bar |
New Jersey State Bar Association’s
Executive Director Thinks Big
As posted by The Star-Ledger on 1/04/2008
BY KATE COSCARELLI
During a recent event at the New Jersey Law Center in New Brunswick, home to the state bar association, a handful of things were going wrong. Nothing calamitous, but enough to slow down an important meeting.
At the fringes of the room, one woman moved quietly and calmly, smoothing out each wrinkle.
An attendant leaned over and whispered into the ear of New Jersey State Bar President Lynn Fontaine Newsome: "Who is that woman?" "That’s Angela," Newsome recalled saying. "She was running around making things all right. She just does it."
Angela is Angela Scheck, who for the past 20 years has worked for the New Jersey State Bar Association in various capacities. She has served as communications director, run its educational arm for the past 14 years, and, most recently, has spearheaded a capital campaign to raise money to improve the law center, which serves as the bar’s headquarters.
Now, Scheck has become the association’s top manager. As executive director, she is responsible for running the day to day operations of the bar, working with the president and lobbyists on policy issues. And she will continue to head the group’s foundation, handling philanthropic and community outreach programs.
"She’s up to it. She has a vision. She’s a leader," Newsome said. "She has a real good sense of lawyers. She kind of gets lawyers.
"She has a real understanding of what the issues are and what the association’s strengths and weaknesses are and what people are looking for from it."
Scheck recently talked to The Star-Ledger about her plans for the bar.
Q: Professional organizations have struggled with membership lately. How is the bar doing?We have about 15,000 members. It certainly is stagnant, and I think that is a trend among bars around the country. That is a direct reflection on lack of time. The pressure on people’s time today is significantly different than it was 10, 15 years ago.How will the bar stay relevant?
A: This is a voluntary bar association, so people have to want to be here. They have to come here and find something relevant for them. What I’d like to be able to do is, through technology, be able to deliver our services in a way that makes it easier for people to use, like Webcasting meetings.
Also, the pace of practicing law is pretty much at warp speed. It means people are having to work more than they used to. The top firms, they are pretty much self-sufficient businesswise. They have their own marketing departments and ability to buy products and services in bulk. But two-thirds of lawyers in the state, and our members, are in firms of under 10. They don’t have the advantages large businesses have.
What we can do is provide them access to the same kinds of services, through the association, that you might get at a large firm, like purchasing arrangements, partnerships with vendors who provide business services to law firms -- everything from office furniture to computers to software packages delivery services.
Q: What’s the first item on your to-do list?
A: I really want our Web site be a portal so our members can access what they need here online. We’re just in the process of getting e-commerce set up so you can do things like register for meetings online.
Q: Does the fact that you’re not a lawyer help or hurt?
A: Having been here for 20 years, I think I understand lawyers and the legal community really well. I don’t think it’s a disadvantage. I don’t think any executive director needs to have that legal expertise.
There are a lot of things here we deal with such as looking at practice issues and legislation, but the association has the best and the brightest lawyers round the state as volunteers. What I’ve always done is tap the volunteers for the legal expertise.
Q: How is the capital campaign going?
A: It’s been going on for 1 1/2 years. The building is 20 years old and has almost no technology except a couple of cameras and TVs. The building itself is 45,000 square feet, and there are some bricks-and-mortar stuff we need to upgrade. We’ve raised almost $4 million to upgrade the law center and technology. We’d like to raise $6 million, and $9 million gives us an endowment for the building.
Q: What’s your management style?
A: I like to kind of do things in a sort of lower key. You need to know what you’re good at and where you need some help -- it’s a team thing. One person can set a tone that hopefully is positive and inspires people and puts forth a sense of positive energy.
Graham-Pelton Consulting, the national leader in fundraising and nonprofit management, is proud to assist organizations like the New Jersey State Bar Foundation and their leaders in fulfilling their promise to the community.
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| The Bach Choir Celebrates Campaign Results |
Bethlehem, PA - The Bach Choir of Bethlehem celebrated the joyful news that it robustly exceeded its Second Century Fund Campaign and by playing one of Bach’s most sorrowful, joyful cantatas.
Launched in February 2006 to help enhance awareness of the choir’s place in American musical history and to help reach a wider audience, the fundraiser brought in more than $3.5 million in gifts and pledges, topping the goal by more than $800,000. More than $1 million was raised for programming and other general operations for the 109-year-old organization. More than $2 million was raised for the endowment, increasing it to nearly $4.3 million.
The campaign funded everything from ’’Bach at Noon,’’ the organization’s monthly series of free cantata and instrumental concerts, to performances by a dance company and a jazz pianist at this year’s 100th Bach Festival, both firsts for the organization. The drive also established four funds for continuing support. More than $117,000 was raised, for example, for new endowments for recordings/broadcasts and research/scholarship.
David Beckwith, president of the choir’s board of managers, admitted he was initially ’’nervous’’ at the prospect of raising so much money in such a short period of time. He attributed the success of the campaign to a deep generational appreciation of the choir’s commitment to Bach’s devotional music. Both ’’make a significant contribution to people’s spiritual lives and the lives of the community we live in,’’ he said.
Graham-Pelton Consulting is proud to assist organizations like The Bach Choir of Bethlehem in fulfilling their promise to the community.
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| Bergen Catholic High School Surpasses $6 Million Campaign Goal |
ORADELL, NJ – Bergen Catholic High School has announced that The Campaign for the Second Half-Century, the school’s first capital campaign, has surpassed its goal. More than $6.3 million has been pledged toward the school’s $6 million minimum goal.
In August 2004, following an extensive feasibility and planning study conducted by Graham-Pelton Consulting, Bergen Catholic High School commenced the quiet phase of The Campaign for the Second Half-Century. The campaign went public in September 2005.
“We haven’t closed our books yet,” says Joseph L. Branciforte ’64, AP ’03, the school’s director of institutional advancement. “We still have more prospects with whom to speak, but I’m thrilled with the progress we’ve made. What began as a concept nearly three years ago is now a reality. I’m thankful to our President, Brother Lawrence T. Murphy, C.F.C., our Campaign Cabinet members, volunteers, staff and our donors for their commitment to this effort. I am also grateful to Graham-Pelton for the counsel they provided throughout.”
The Campaign for the Second Half-Century seeks to grow Bergen Catholic’s endowment by a minimum of $3.5 million for scholarships, financial aid, faculty development, and international studies. An additional $2.5 million (minimum) is sought for major renovation projects, land acquisition, and classroom and science lab improvements.
Bergen Catholic High School is a private, four-year, college-preparatory high school for young men located in Oradell, New Jersey. It is owned and operated by the Congregation of Christian Brothers and is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. The school is currently celebrating its 51st year of operation.
Graham-Pelton Consulting, the national leader in fundraising and nonprofit management, is proud to assist organizations like Bergen Catholic High School in fulfilling their promise to the community.
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| Cathedral of Mary Our Queen Raises over $4 Million--Surpassing Goal |
 Baltimore, MD -- Over the past few months, Cathedral and School leaders at Mary Our Queen have worked hand-in-hand on conducting a $4 million fundraising campaign. After a thorough internal and external review, it was determined that campaign efforts would address renovations and modernizations of both the Cathedral and School, while maintaining the historical integrity of the buildings.
To date $4,140,264 has been raised for this historical campaign. Of that total, 348 written pledges have been secured, with 100% of the Cathedral School faculty and staff supporting this extraordinary fundraising effort.
Located in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen is a spiritual center and a place that has served a very important role in America’s Catholic heritage. Since its dedication in November 1959, The Cathedral of Mary Our Queen has been the touchstone for Catholics in the Homeland section of Baltimore and throughout the Archdiocese. The School of the Cathedral was founded in 1871 in the Baltimore City. The school moved to its current location in 1960. Since its modest beginnings, the School has educated and graduated thousands of youngsters who move on to be contributing members of our society, our country and the world.
Graham-Pelton Consulting, the national leader in fundraising and nonprofit management, is proud to assist organizations like Cathedral of Mary Our Queen and School of the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen the in fulfilling their promise to the community.
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| FROST VALLEY YMCA RECEIVES $1 MILLION GIFT |
Jerry Huncosky, CEO of Frost Valley YMCA, has announced a $1 million gift from Helen Geyer to benefit the camp’s Build Strong! Capital Campaign. The gift will fund the renovation of Frost Valley’s former girls dining hall into Geyer Hall. Geyer was a model and actress in the 1940s.
Presently a Trustee Emerita at Frost Valley, Geyer began serving on Frost Valley’s Board of Trustees as its first female member in 1962. She was instrumental in forming a girls camp at a time when camps like Frost Valley were all-male. “What Frost Valley has done throughout the ages for young girls and boys is simply remarkable,” Geyer says. “Frost Valley changes lives.
The Build Strong! Campaign seeks to raise funds to build a new wellness center and family center. In addition to serving traditional guests, Frost Valley works with a number of special children each year through its partnership with the Ruth Gottscho Kidney Foundation. Frost Valley is home to the nation’s first camp-based dialysis center, which is still unique in its ability to mainstream children with kidney disease into camp-life. The dialysis unit is staffed under the supervision of Children’s Hospital at Montefiore Medical Center. The new Guenther Family Wellness Center will help encompass three areas: a health care wing, a kidney dialysis wing, and a program and education center. It is named in recognition of a lead gift provided by Paul B. Guenther, Frost Valley’s Chairman of the Board.
Frost Valley YMCA was founded in 1901 and is located in the Catskill Mountains in Claryville, NY. In addition to its resident camp program, Frost Valley offers Teen Adventure Trips, an Educational Farm Summer Camp, Woodwise Environmental Education Camp, Arts Camp, Horseback Riding Ranch Camp, and a Day Camp for community children, among other programs. Frost Valley serves children, adults and families of all racial, religious, and ethnic cultures through its mission of putting “Christian principles into practice through programs that promote a healthy spirit, mind and body for all.”
Those seeking more information about Frost Valley YMCA and The Build Strong! Campaign visit the website at http://www.frostvalley.org.
Graham-Pelton Consulting, the national leader in fundraising and nonprofit management, is proud to assist institutions like Frost Valley YMCA in fulfilling their promise of service to the community.
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| Middlesex County College Foundation Receives $500,000 Gift Plus Challenge Matching Opportunity from Robert Wood Johnson 1962 Charitable Trust |
The Robert Wood Johnson 1962 Charitable Trust has donated $500,000 to the Middlesex County College Foundation’s Community Investment Campaign. The trust has also issued a matching challenge: for every new or increased donation made until December 31, 2006, it will match that gift up to a total of $500,000.
“I am absolutely thrilled by the Johnson family’s generosity,” said Michael David-Wilson, executive director of the Middlesex County College Foundation. “When the challenge is fulfilled, this gift will provide perpetual support for 50 more students annually and touch the lives of generations and generations of students.”
The trust will also match any written pledge commitment; even if a first payment is not received by year end. Likewise the challenge will be considered met for anyone who can provide documentation of intent to make a planned gift, gift of life insurance, or name the foundation as a partial or full beneficiary in their will.
Mr. David-Wilson also said that the gift puts the Community Investment Campaign at $2.5 million, only $500,000 from its $3 million goal. “In fact, when we can raise the additional $500,000 from other sources, the Foundation challenge match will bring us over goal at $3.5 million,” he said.
The announcement of the gift was made at reception in October for donors and recipients that the Foundation holds each year.
The Community Investment Campaign, the most ambitious fundraising effort in the Foundation’s 40-year history, represents the opportunity to advance the College and transform the lives of its students.
The Foundation annually grants approximately 650 scholarships. The goal of the Community Investment Campaign is to increase that number to 1,000.
Dr. Joann la Perla-Morales, president of the College, praised the trust for its generosity.
“This campaign will give the dream of education and a better life to even more students,” she said. “We thank the Johnson family for their support. We know the need is there. This is a fabulous development for the College and the Foundation, but most importantly, the students.”
Interestingly, the Johnson family made the first major gift to the Foundation in 1984 – a $1.5 million gift given to start the Foundation’s Scholarship Endowment Fund. The College’s Johnson Learning Center was later named for the family in recognition of the gift.
Mr. David-Wilson said, “Because of the vision and historic commitment of the Johnson family, our scholarship Endowment will grow to approximately $8 million.”
The Middlesex County College Foundation was chartered in 1966 to provide educational opportunities for qualified students and those requiring financial assistance to attend Middlesex County College. By consistently growing financial aid and scholarships and raising funds for select College programs, the Middlesex County College Foundation helps students realize their academic and career dreams. Since its inception 40 years ago, the Foundation has provided more than $7 million in assistance to over 10,500 students.
Graham-Pelton Consulting, the national leader in fundraising and nonprofit management, is proud to assist institutions like Middlesex County College Foundation in fulfilling their promise of service to the community.
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| The Berkshire Museum Raises $5.2 Million toward Capital Campaign |
PITTSFIELD, MA– The Berkshire Museum has launched its capital campaign, “A Wider Window.” The fundraising goal of the campaign is $9 million to fund building renovations including climate control throughout the museum, new and renovated gallery space, education classrooms and facilities, and improved visitor amenities. The campaign also includes funds for the Berkshire Museum endowment to help ensure the financial base for programs and the operation of the renovated facility. During the campaign’s quiet phase, the Berkshire Museum has raised $5.2 million toward the goal. The Museum anticipates that construction will begin this winter.
The Museum also announced the lead gift in the campaign--a contribution of $1.2 million from The Feigenbaum Foundation of Pittsfield. The gift will establish the Feigenbaum Hall of Innovation, a gallery devoted to innovations in science, industry, technology, and culture with origins in the Berkshires.
“This is a very special moment in the 103-year history of the Berkshire Museum,” said Michael A. Christopher, president of the board of trustees. “When Zenas Crane founded the Berkshire Museum in 1903, he wanted to create ‘a window on the world.’ We are thrilled to publicly announce ‘A Wider Window: The Berkshire Museum’s Capital Campaign,’ which will widen that window, and provide an inspiring view of art, history, and science, around the corner and across the globe.”
In addition to the lead gift from The Feigenbaum Foundation, major gifts of $100,000 or more have been given by: Berkshire Bank Foundation; Jane and Jay Braus; The Dobbins Foundation; the Fitzpatrick Family; GE Plastics; Greylock Federal Credit Union; Maureen and Paul Hickey; the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS); The Legacy Banks Foundation; the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism; Suzanne and Kenneth Nash; and TD Banknorth. Numerous other organizations and individuals have made gifts during the quiet phase of the campaign.
“We are extremely grateful to the donors who have taken the lead in making this crucial renovation possible,” said Stuart A. Chase, executive director of the Berkshire Museum. “I know that this wonderful community that we serve will recognize the importance of this campaign to the Berkshire Museum, to the continued rejuvenation of downtown Pittsfield, and to the quality of life here in the Berkshires, and will support us and bring us to our $9 million goal.”
The Berkshire Museum enriches, educates, and inspires through diverse collections of art, natural science, and history, as well as dynamic educational programs and special exhibitions. The Berkshire Museum serves approximately 85,000-95,000 visitors each year. For more information, visit www.berkshiremuseum.org.
Graham-Pelton Consulting, the national leader in fundraising and nonprofit management, is proud to assist organizations like the Berkshire Museum in fulfilling their promise to the community.
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| Wall Street Journal Features Project Self-Sufficiency $1.6M Gift |
Newton, NJ – As reported in the Wall Street Journal, Project Self-Sufficiency has announced that Beverly B. and William Bruce Gordon have pledged $1.6 million to the organization’s first fundraising campaign. The campaign will enable Project Self-Sufficiency to purchase and renovate a 5.5 acre Sussex County property, which will house Project Self-Sufficiency’s new headquarters and comprehensive programs.
The Gordons’ generous gift is one of two seven-figure commitments made during the early quiet phase of this campaign. The campaign and its goal will be publicly announced in early 2006.
Project Self-Sufficiency launched the quiet phase of this campaign based upon the positive findings of a feasibility and planning study conducted by Graham-Pelton Consulting. Graham-Pelton currently is providing campaign management services to Project Self-Sufficiency.
Project Self-Sufficiency was founded twenty-five years ago, through a nationwide housing program initiated by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The mission of Project Self Sufficiency is to assist low-income families to achieve economic self-sufficiency and to empower them to improve their lives and the lives of their children. This is done through assisting families by providing job training, career counseling, resume development, professional clothes and by providing families in need with day care, legal assistance and family literacy classes. Project Self-Sufficiency has served more than 15,000 Sussex County families in need.
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| Iona College Closes Capital Campaign at Over $82 Million |
New Rochelle, NY - Iona College has announced the closing of its comprehensive capital campaign Vision Into Reality at an event held at The Rainbow Room in Rockefeller Center. The campaign was launched publicly in April 2000 with an initial goal of $55 million. President Brother James A. Liguori, Ed.D. revealed the closing amount of $82,637,427 to a crowd of Iona’s most generous donors. "I am honored to congratulate the Iona community on this tremendous accomplishment. Having just begun my 11th year as Iona’s president, this is truly one of our proudest moments," stated Liguori.
Vision Into Reality has funded the Iona College Arts Center (opened in September 2000), renovations of the science building and the Mulcahy Campus Events Center, a new main entrance, an endowment for more than 23 scholarship funds, the Robert V. LaPenta ’67, ’00H Student Union (scheduled to open August 2005) and the Hynes Athletics Center (scheduled to open January 2006). Future projects include an expansion of the Ryan Library that will enhance its technological infrastructure while increasing study and research space.
In addition to its dramatic physical transformation, Iona has achieved accreditation for its programs in business, mass communication, education and social work since the campaign began. The College is also currently listed in US News and World Report’s 18th annual "America’s Best Colleges 2005" and The Princeton Review’s Best Northeastern Colleges and Best 143 Business Schools 2005 editions.
"This is the best Iona we have ever been. Thanks to the overwhelming success of this campaign, we have constructed the necessary facilities to best serve our community, while continuing to fulfill our ongoing student-centered mission," said Rich Petriccione, vice president for Advancement and External Affairs.
Founded in 1940 by the Congregation of Christian Brothers, Iona College is a private, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of American Catholic higher education. Iona offers undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science, and business administration, as well as master of arts, master of science and master of business administration degrees and numerous post-graduate certificate programs.
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