Cassandra Clore

Digital Resume and Portfolio

Originally from Indiana, I mostly grew up in Phoenix, AZ. I earned my Bachelor's in Computer Information Systems in 2014. I earned my Graduate Certificate in Strategic Communication Management from Purdue University in 2017. And I completed my Master's in Communication from the Brian Lamb School of Communication at Purdue University in March 2019. I currently work for Central Washington University as the Director of Donor Stewardship as well as the Interim Director of Operations.

In my professional life I am driven by my passion for communication. I strive to be able to create meaningful and impact-filled moments for donors, either through experiences or words. My donor relations, fundraising, and communication knowledge are all guided by my quest for new and changing research and is further influenced by my years of practical application. Please see my portfolio for examples of the pieces I have created.

In my personal life, I enjoy traveling with my husband, planning events, and spending time with our asthmatic cat, Tiny. Over the last few years my husband and I put our passports to work and visited several new countries including the Cayman Islands and England. Can't wait to get back out there!

Communicator

I have a passion for open and effective communication.

Organizer

From organizing my schedule to putting on a high level donor event for 300 people, organization is my way of life.

Collaborator

Working with other members of a team can encourage fresh ideas.

Director, Donor Stewardship
Central Washington University | Jan 2019 – Present

Provide impactful reporting to CWU donors, including updates on the utilization of their endowment and annual funds
Strengthened stewardship events, providing donors opportunities to engage with CWU and CWU students
Successfully converted in-person stewardship events into meaningful touchpoints during COVID-19
Support major giving efforts by providing timely research and in-depth reporting on potential and current donors
Manage and coordinate giving society membership and stewardship efforts
Consistently surpassed fulfillment and revenue goals while supervising the call center
Assist in the development and execution of a systems approach to delivering pre, during, and post event outreach and follow up to effectively drive attendance to events and manage relationships discovered from regional programming and discovery officer activities into major gift donors

Manager of Development Operations and Donor Stewardship
Purdue Research Foundation, College of Veterinary Medicine | Nov 2016 – Dec 2018

Oversee all stewardship and donor relations efforts of the College of Veterinary Medicine
Coordinate and administer all aspects of the College’s annual fund program
Create, implement, and manage new donor programs
Generate and oversee personalized stewardship plans for major donors
Developed and implemented a new stewardship process for all acknowledgements for the College
Charged with writing all impact summaries and verifying data on all endowment reports for the College, and worked one-on-one with specific donors who needed special attention regarding their endowments
Planned the Association of Veterinary Advancement Professionals (AVAP) 2017 International Conference
Member of a campus-wide stewardship committee for the Ever Grateful campaign, focusing on major gift stewardship following a multi-year campaign

Purdue Fort Wayne – Fort Wayne, IN
Manager of Special Projects and Chancellor Events | August 2016 – November 2016

Design, implement, and manage events initiated by the Chancellor’s office, including receptions, dinners, ceremonies, community events, Family Picnic, and programs such as the Welcome Back reception, and legislator and senator dinners
Provide executive level support to the Chancellor and Chief of Staff
Work with Marketing and Communications, Development, Advancement, and local community office to manage databases that contain all mailing and contact listings for donors, board members, campus and city leaders, and legislators
Work with several departments to coordinate campus wide events, such as Honors Convocation, Honorary Degree Reception and Dinner, and Commencement

Purdue Fort Wayne – Fort Wayne, IN
Gift Coordinator / Business Assistant | October 2014 – August 2016

Utilize software such as Ariba, SAP, and Ellucian Advance, facilitating purchasing for several departments, performing data entry, maintaining confidential records, and deriving reports
Asked to be part of an elite, cross-campus event planning committee of just 6 people, tasked with creating and implementing an inaugural event that celebrates IPFW’s Top 50 students
Responsible for developing, planning, implementing, budgeting, and wrapping up several donor events, especially Omnibus dinners and Celebrate Philanthropy – IPFW’s annual donor recognition event
Ensure required documentation is present for all gift entries in accordance with IRS and Purdue University processing guidelines
First line of contact for all IPFW donors with respect to their donations
Office purchasing, logistic coordination for office moves, and general office management tasks
Prepare, communicate, train, and implement procedures and policies for cash handling of all gifts campus-wide
Compile, interpret, and analyze giving and financial reports
Balance and reconcile accounts, ensuring all funds follow donor intent

Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo – Fort Wayne, IN
Development Assistant | May 2012 – September 2014

Managed the donor database as well as interdepartmental databases; input and organized donor information and created/ran reports for accounting purposes
Provided administrative assistance to the Director of Development, a member of the executive team
Resolved financial discrepancies by collecting and analyzing information
First line of contact for all donors, fulfilling and tracking special requests such as behind-the-scenes tours and auction fulfillment experiences
Escort donors during special events, programs, and tours to ensure an ideal experience

American Red Cross of Northeast Indiana – Fort Wayne, IN
Development Director | January 2008 – May 2012

Coordinated fundraising and special events from planning to follow-through; this includes graphics, phone calls, logistics, implementation, organization and follow up
Obtained corporate sponsorships for special events by acting as lead contact for sponsors
Created and distributed internal and external communication pieces such as thank you cards and mass emails - developing stewardship plans for major donors
Supervised volunteers and tracked staff and volunteer hours and organized reports for grant fulfillment
Updated and monitored social media marketing using LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter; maintained organizational website while adhering to national standards