Jessica Jones
Director, Client Services
Favorite inspirational quote:
“There is always light. If only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.”
— Amanda Gorman, Poet Laureate
Areas of expertise: donor relations, principal and major gift strategy, impact reporting, case development, board engagement, donor research, pipeline building, and campaign strategy
Causes I’m most passionate about: education, public health, social justice, access to affordable and quality health care, feminism, voter enfranchisement, a living wage, affordable housing, and protecting the environment
My fundraising story: My strong track record of evaluating, designing, and implementing programmatic infrastructure has produced mission-driven fundraising results for the Johns Hopkins University Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, St. Anne’s School of Annapolis, Zurich International School, and the United States Naval Academy Alumni Association and Foundation. Through clear communication and consensus-building, I have advocated priorities that span the arts, sciences, entrepreneurship, athletics, technology, education, and social impact—crucial for engaging clients and donors across the nonprofit sector.
Prior to joining the team at Aperio Philanthropy, I oversaw the donor relations program for the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences and focused on principal gift donor relations and strategic projects at the conclusion of Johns Hopkins University’s historic $6.015 billion Rising to the Challenge campaign. I crafted annual stewardship and engagement plans for principal gift donors while working with gift officers, divisional partners, and university leadership to implement complex donor relations, cultivation, acknowledgment, and solicitation strategies for a wide range of constituencies.
Why I care about helping nonprofits grow: In a world where vision is too often outweighed by limited resources, I feel a calling to help nonprofits build sustainable, robust fundraising programs to make a meaningful impact. Philanthropy plays a key role in addressing systemic challenges that society faces and lifting up those who are most vulnerable, often in significant ways that governments or individuals can’t address on their own. In order to make this world a better place, ongoing and sustainable impact needs to be a public/private partnership and nonprofits are key leaders in enacting positive change. To that end, Aperio Philanthropy’s mission is one that I feel deeply.
Hobbies: gardening and playing in the dirt, keeping up with my dopey puppy, listening to audiobooks at bedtime, relaxing with no agenda, traveling the world, adventuring off the beaten path, boating the Chesapeake (I had my boaters license before I could drive a car), hiking a good trail, trying new recipes and cooking old favorites, 4+ mile walks around my neighborhood with my husband, book club, exploring bottle shops and microbreweries, and sitting on my front porch to chat with all my neighbors
Unusual talent: I can balance on the bow of a rowboat while poling along in the shallows with a crab net to scoop up soft shell crabs. I’m also pretty clutch at helping friends and family write résumés that usually result in job interviews.
