PHILADELPHIA, PA – July 2022 – United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey (UWGPSNJ) is proud to welcome Mary Shaffer as its new Chief Development Officer. Shaffer will plan and direct all aspects of UWGPSNJ’s fundraising strategies, policies, and development initiatives.
“Mary brings 25 years of experience in cultivating relationships and developing successful fundraising strategies to support nonprofit organizations,” said Bill Golderer, CEO & President of UWGPSNJ. “She is poised to lead a mission-focused, donor-centered, and data-informed strategy to support our efforts to end intergenerational poverty and expand opportunity in the Philadelphia region.”
In her role as Chief Development Officer, Shaffer will be responsible for leading a team of fundraising professionals throughout the organization. She will also partner closely with the senior leadership team, staff, and the Board of Directors to build a stream of contributed revenue to support UWGPSNJ’s high-impact initiatives.
“It’s truly an honor to join United Way to lead the advancement of philanthropic solutions for ending poverty and expanding opportunity in our region,” said Shaffer. “Development, to me, has always meant offering an opportunity to donors and funders to participate in building a better world. That is the philosophy I bring with me to United Way.”
Prior to joining UWGPSNJ, Shaffer worked at Einstein Healthcare Network, first as Senior Director of Major Gifts, and then as Associate Vice President for Philanthropy and was responsible for quadrupling fundraising revenue during her eight-year tenure. She also served as Director of Major Gifts for Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation, building a new major gifts program and increasing annual revenues by 600% in her five-year tenure. Shaffer spent nearly a decade at Continuum Health Partners, a four-hospital healthcare system, as a grant writer, Associate Director of Development, and ultimately Director of Development. Early in her career, she also managed giving programs at the New York Botanical Garden and Newman University in Kansas.
Shaffer is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania (B.A.) and University of Chicago (M.A.). A current member of the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy and a former member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Shaffer is a well-regarded fundraising mentor and teacher and has presented at national conferences.
Shaffer will join UWGPSNJ on July 18, 2022. For more information on UWGPSNJ’s mission to end poverty and expand opportunity, visit www.unitedforimpact.org.