katie lempert sklar

Katie Lempert Sklar is a seasoned philanthropy professional with over 25 years experience in strategic planning, donor relations management, alumni and student services. Her passions including building comprehensive programs that encompass cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, facilitating long-term donor stability, expansion, and successfully achieving reach goals.

Katie has worked for some of the top organizations in the country, including New England Conservatory, Boston Symphony Orchestra, and Women & Infants Hospital. In her roles as Director and Assistant Director, she has re-imagined organizations’ fundraising efforts, leading to record levels of donor expansion, increased support, and surpassing budget goals. In addition to managing all aspects of annual campaigns and special events, she has established donor relations programs that have has a measurable impact on donor engagement and involvement, leading to both increased donations, as well as positioning organizations for campaign strategic planning and readiness.

Throughout her career, Katie has also served as the first fully-dedicated philanthropy officer at organizations seeking to establish and professionalize their fundraising efforts, including Jazz Aspen Snowmass, The Silk Road Project, Inc., and most recently Community MusicWorks (CMW). At CMW, she established the first year-long strategic fundraising campaign for individuals, family foundations, and corporations, successfully raising the highest level of individual contributions for three years, surpassing annual fundraising goals, and consistently raising over 60% of the overall fundraising budget. Additionally, she established and executed a significantly enhanced cultivation and stewardship program, resulting in larger gifts from returning donors, substantially reduced attrition rates, and enhanced donor attendance at programs.

As a fundraising consultant, Katie has the privilege of collaborating with many of the top service, medical, and arts organizations in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, providing specialized services including capital and annual campaign strategic planning, donor and database research and analysis, feasibility studies, capital campaign case statements, board and committee strategic materials and training, and communications and marketing materials.

 Katie has a B.A. in Psychology from Tufts University and a B.M. in Classical Horn from New England Conservatory of Music. She and her husband, Mitchel, and their daughter, DiDi, live in Providence, RI. Katie also serves on the Gordon School Fund Committee, the Miriam Hospital Women’s Association, and is a member of the Board of Overseers at New England Conservatory.