Strategic Development Planning Deep Dive

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.

Olivia is an accomplished fundraiser, nonprofit strategy consultant, and project manager. As an Assistant Vice President at CCS Fundraising, she has provided interim leadership, developed multi-year campaign plans, and managed campaigns with goals ranging from $1.5 million to $130 million. She is passionate about helping organizations reach their goals through strategic and impact-focused philanthropy, and has nonprofit experience in higher education, independent school, and arts and culture sectors. She has a BA from Yale University and an MSc from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Chloe is a Vice President at CCS Fundraising. In this role, she enables CCS clients to achieve transformational change by providing interim leadership, campaign management, strategic planning support, and operational re-design to achieve and exceed fundraising goals. Since joining CCS, Chloe has provided executive support to clients in the arts and culture, education, advocacy, and religious sectors, building on more than a decade of prior leadership experience in the non-profit sector. Chloe has an MBA from Henley Business School, an MSc in Non-Profit Accounting and Financial Management from Cass Business School, and a BSc in Social Psychology from Loughborough University.

Catherine is a Senior Director at CCS Fundraising. In her role, she has supported organizations across a variety of sectors to achieve fundraising successes through campaign planning and management, feasibility studies, fundraising assessments, and unique projects tailored to client needs. During the past three years, she has enjoyed notable partnerships with Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School (Baltimore, MD) and Golda Och Academy (West Orange, NJ).