Senior Development Professionals Retreat 2024

Elizabeth Abel is a thought leader in Jewish philanthropy and expert in nonprofit fundraising. She has led capital campaigns and development initiatives that have collectively raised nearly one billion dollars for Jewish, education, arts and culture, healthcare, and advocacy organizations. Since joining CCS in 2013, Elizabeth has partnered with institutions to plan and implement large-scale fundraising campaigns with revenue goals ranging from $5 million to over $1 billion. In this role, she provides counsel on strategic planning, major gifts fundraising, and board engagement. Elizabeth has also directed feasibility and campaign planning studies, served in interim development roles, and managed annual campaigns and special fundraising events.

Beyond her work at CCS and for the past six years, Elizabeth has taught a philanthropy course at the University of Pennsylvania to graduate students in the Nonprofit Leadership Program. She serves on the School of Social Policy and Practice (SP2) Dean’s Alumni Advisory Board, and in 2020, she was inducted into the SP2 Alumni Hall of Fame for her work with mission-driven organizations. Elizabeth has received industry recognition for her commitment to the nonprofit sector: in 2024, she was recognized by the New York Jewish Week in their annual “36 to Watch” as a “thought leader in Jewish philanthropy;” and in 2022, BELLA Magazine recognized Elizabeth as a “Woman of Influence in Philanthropy.” Elizabeth holds a Masters in Nonprofit Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Arts from Tufts University. Elizabeth resides in New York with her husband and their two daughters.

Tamar is the Director of Education at Hidden Sparks, an organization that partners with Jewish day schools to increase their capacity to serve all learners. Previously, she was the Associate Principal of Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School for Girls for 12 years. Tamar believes that communication and understanding one’s own areas of strength and opportunities for growth are crucial components of leadership development. Tamar was a member of the 2015-2016 YOU Lead (then YU Lead) cohort and then served on the editorial board of the Prizmah journal HaYidion. She also participated in the 2018 Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Summer Institute for Principals. Tamar has undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Pennsylvania. She lives with her husband and sons in Englewood, NJ.

Since 2011, Rebecca has been working for the Day School Initiative of the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest on behalf of the four local area day schools: Golda Och Academy in West Orange, Gottesman RTW Academy in Randolph, JKHA/RKYHS in Livingston and JEC in Elizabeth. As Director, Rebecca was a key strategist in the nationally recognized community-wide Tuition MAX affordability program for middle income families. The transformative program caps tuition at a percentage of income for qualified families, no matter how many children attend the school. Since its inception, she has overseen the Quest for Teaching Excellence program, the impactful vision of Paula and Jerry (z”l) Gottesman to train teachers in the most current professional practices and continually raise the standards of excellence across the Jewish day school community. She has also directed a multi-faceted enrollment campaign in the community since 2008. This includes the “Smart Move” program designed to encourage families to move to Greater Metrowest, a concerted effort to continue to build a vibrant Jewish community. Rebecca is a proud day school alum, having grown up in Toronto in a family that prioritized Jewish education.

Eric is the Principal & Managing Director at CCS Fundraising. For more than 20 years he has been a trusted advisor to leading nonprofit executives, trustees, and development leaders. He has helped design and implement more than 200 fundraising campaigns and initiatives that have raised over $2 billion to make a positive difference in communities all around the world.

Eric’s primary areas of expertise include feasibility and planning studies; capital and endowment campaigns; major donor programs; principal gift solicitation strategies; strategic development planning; case messaging and storytelling; board development; and coaching and training. “The truest definition of philanthropy is ‘love of humanity.’ It’s a privilege to work with passionate leaders who are working so hard to make positive change in the world. Philanthropy is the fuel that makes that change possible,” says Eric. Eric frequently speaks about philanthropy and development strategy at professional conferences, including the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), and the League of American Orchestras. Eric is a proud graduate of Regis High School and the College of the Holy Cross. He resides in Westchester, NY with his wife, Kristin, their two daughters, and rescued dog, Oscar.