The Office of Gift Planning will be closed this Friday, January 12, in recognition of our team’s work during the year end.

Thank you,

TJ Pillari

Please extend a warm welcome to our new Science Academic Advancement Director, Steve Asiala! Some of you may know Steve from his most recent position at the IDEA Center, where he served as the Assistant Director for Research Engagement, and we are so excited to welcome him to Development. Steve received his B.S. in Chemistry from Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He then received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Notre Dame. His experience ranges from partnering with faculty and the Academy to driving engagement with the Industrial Biotechnology sector across Scotland, which will serve him in the AAD role. Ask him about his time as a postdoc in Scotland!

As the Science AAD, Steve will be responsible for driving philanthropy to the College of Science, working closely with William K. Warren Foundation Dean and Professor of Mathematical and Quantitative Biology, Santiago Schnell. This position has been vacant since October 2023, so we are excited that Steve’s first day in Development will be Tuesday, January 16, 2024. He will be starting right as Advisory Council Membership preparation and review begins, so he will be spending lots of time at Main Building the first couple weeks. You will get a chance to hear from him during the Winter Spectacular in the Science immersion and meet him throughout the Annual Planning Day.

We are thrilled to have Steve join the team!!!

KO

At 5:00 pm on Wednesday, January 10, crmND will no longer be available as part of the transition to asceND and the Advance system and BEAT will become READ ONLY.

The data conversion to asceND will begin at that time and we expect asceND will be operable on Tuesday, January 16. No gift processing or data inputs (ie contact updates, proposals, contact reports, etc.) will be allowed during the data conversion. 

The data mart will be frozen and available on 1/11 for reporting with data processed through 1/10.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our departmental IT support team.

Happy birthday to all our UR employees celebrating their special days in January! We hope this new year brings you joy!

1/2—Koby Keck
1/3—Andrea Swanagan
1/4—Molly Cosby
1/5—Nancy Cole
1/6—Elicia Dennis
1/6—Dylan Reed
1/7—Drew Buscareno
1/9—Kate Brown
1/11—Colleen Bailey-Knapke
1/11—Stu Fortener
1/12—James Riley
1/13—Laura Walker
1/16—Tracey Cantwell
1/17—Matt Frazier
1/19—Jeff Fersch
1/21—Matt McVeigh
1/21—Michael Stark
1/23—Nadia Erickson
1/24—Suzanne DeGuillo
1/24—Melissa Lechlitner-Lewis
1/24—Katie Leigh
1/25—Kelly Courington
1/25—Lou Nanni
1/26—Chris Baguer
1/26—Joanne Norell
1/30—Geoff Stookey
1/31—Bryan Reaume

2024 Endowment Update
Please join us Thursday, February 22, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. ET, for the 2024 Notre Dame Endowment Update. This private, invite-only event is for participants in Notre Dame’s charitable remainder trust and donor advised fund programs. The event is an opportunity to learn more about the University’s Endowment and participate in a question-and-answer session with Mike Donovan and the Investment Office team. Invitations to CRT and DAF benefactors will be sent in January.

Badin Guild Naples Cocktail Reception
The annual cocktail reception in Naples, Florida, will be hosted on Thursday, February 29, 2024. from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Club at Mediterra. This event is graciously hosted by Chris and Megan Fereday. Invitations for this event will be sent in late January. If you have planned giving prospects that will be in the Naples area at that time that you would like to invite, please contact  Laura Walker.

Badin Guild Mass of Thanksgiving
On Sunday, March 17, 2024 at 10:00 a.m., Father John Jenkins will remember the intentions in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. Intentions may be submitted here by Sunday, March 10, 2024. We encourage you to join us in person for this Mass.

Badin Guild Cocktail Reception at Reunion 2024
On Thursday, May 30, 2024, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. the Badin Guild will host a cocktail reception during Reunion 2024. Invitations for this event will be sent in April.

Please contact Laura Walker with any questions regarding these Badin Guild events.

We are delighted to announce that Blake Rodman and Josey Kronewitter are joining the Leadership Event team as Associate Directors. Blake will support Internal Engagement events, while Josey will work with the academy to support their council events and meetings.

Blake will start on December 18, and Josey will begin on December 20. Both of them are transferring from other University Enterprise and Events teams and are exceptional event managers with extensive experience. They are excited to collaborate with the team and contribute to the success of future events.

Please join us in welcoming Blake and Josey to the team!

Ashley Bennett

Sr. Director of Leadership Events

It is my pleasure to announce Samantha Alcantara as our new Development Coordinator, Membership Experiences, on the Annual Giving team! In her new role, Samantha will respond to all inbound communications from our Giving Society members and other alumni, parents, and friends. Samantha will also assist with other projects, with a focus on stewardship, member renewal, and Giving Society events. Samantha has been with the team since October and has brought incredible energy and joy to the team and our donors that we know will continue!

Please join me in congratulating Samantha!

Conor Montijo

Dear Colleagues,

We hope this message finds you well. We want to take this opportunity to share significant news regarding our colleague, Darrell Paulsen, who will be retiring from his role in development after 13 years within our department and a remarkable 26 years of service to the University.

As a Regional Director of Development, Darrell leaves behind a legacy of achievement, having raised nearly $51M in production and over $5M in unrestricted cash gifts for the University since the start of the Boldly campaign.

His contributions extend beyond financial milestones; Darrell’s mentorship, genuine relationships with benefactors, colleagues, and partners, and unwavering commitment to the mission of Our Lady’s University have left an indelible mark.

In recognition of Darrell’s career, we plan to celebrate his retirement before the end of the calendar year, with more details to follow.

Please join us in expressing heartfelt gratitude to Darrell and his wife, Melissa, for their dedication and service to the University. We wish them all the best in their future endeavors.

Warmest regards,
The East Team

Dear Colleagues,

Please continue to use the 2023 Year-End Memo in the upcoming weeks! Page Three is a great quick reference guide for important information. The final pages are the wire instructions and the DTC information (gifting of securities).

Gift Questions at Year End: When you have questions regarding whether a gift has arrived or simply need to alert the team about an incoming gift, please utilize the Gift form. The Gift and Data Management team will update you when these gifts have been received.

PC/CC Gifts: New this year, we ask that you keep CCPC gifts off the above intake form. Instead, please make sure that you have shared your anticipated CCPC gifts with Mary Jane Anon (manon@nd.edu) and her team.

Postal Mail sent directly to Grace Hall/ 405 Mail Building: The Gift and Data Management team will physically pick up USPS, FedEx, and UPS mail from the Hammes Mowbray Hall (the Post Office) daily from December 26 through December 29.

Thank you,
Alyssa

In collaboration with the Office of Institutional Research, Innovation, and Strategy, the Development Office is undertaking a significant effort to implement recommendations and action plans for how we can advance collaboration across the division and the University in stewarding our donors through the For Good initiative and beyond. Caitlin Olivier and Andrew Frye are serving as co-project leads for this effort, and will be reaching out to many members of the Development team in the months to come to participate. Your input and participation are critical to helping us ensure that the stewardship of our benefactors remains unsurpassed. If you have any questions, or want to know how you can become more involved, please reach out to Caitlin or Andrew, or any of us as steering committee members. Many thanks in advance for your participation in this important effort!

Brian Diss, Katherine Lane, and Brandon Tabor