About Alex's Consulting Services
Experience You Can Count On
Estate Planning - Contact Alex for assistance with the following:
**Estate planning documents and needs
**Charitable gift planning documents and needs
Currently active in New York [inactive in Delaware & Pennsylvania]
Fundraising Consulting - Contact Alex for assistance with the following:
**Outside assessment of your gift planning/major gift fundraising program
including strategic planning
**Endowment and gift acceptance policies
**Training tailored to your staff, board(s), leadership, and advisors
**Marketing expertise and assistance with materials
**Drafting of checklists, tips, letters, agreements, and sample language
**Strategic and Operating Plans
**Legacy society formation, marketing, events, and stewardship
**Mentorship program
Book Coaching - Contact Alex for assistance with the following:
**Discussing concepts
**Preparing a book proposal
**Organizing ideas and notes into chapters
**Editing assistance and revisions
**Ghostwriting
Learn More
If you are interested in a no-obligation quote for services, please contact me.
Alex's Education and Experience
Alex's Online Resume
EDUCATION
The Pennsylvania State University - BA in 1990
With high distinction; Phil Beta Kappa
Minor: Legal Environment of Business
Georgetown University Law Center - JD in 1993
The Tax Lawyer
University of Miami School of Law - LLM in 1995
Master of Law in Estate Planning
EXPERIENCE
Northwell Health Foundation [2008 - present]
Assistant Vice President, Gift Planning ($1.4 billion campaign)
Stony Brook Foundation [2007-2008]
Senior Director, Gift Planning ($300 million campaign)
Pace University [2004-2007]
Senior Director, Planned and Major Gifts ($100 million campaign)
The Pennsylvania State University [1999-2004]
Planned Giving Officer ($1.3 billion campaign)
PUBLICATIONS
Zen and the Art of Fundraising: 8 Pillars of Success, Zen and the Art of Fundraising: 8 More Pillars of Success, and Zen and the Art of Fundraising: The Pillars in Practice, published by CharityChannel Press.
In addition to a series of blogs, Alex has been published in Trusts and Estates, The Journal of Gift Planning, Planned Giving Today, and Fundraising Success Advisor.
PRESENTATIONS
Since 2008, Alex has presented in 21 states and 44 cities on a variety of legal and fundraising topics. As an active attorney in New York, Alex can present on legal topics relating to charitable giving for CLE credit.
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
American Council on Gift Annuities (ACGA)
Estate Planning Council of Long Island
Nassau County Estate Planning Council
National Association of Charitable Gift Planners (NACGP)
New York State Bar Association
Philanthropic Planning Group of Greater New York (PPGGNY)
BOARD AND COMMUNITY SERVICE
American Council on Gift Annuities Board 2023-present
NACGP Chair of Leadership Institute 2018-2019
NACGP Member, Past Treasurer and Board Member
PPGGNY President Emerita and Mentor
Georgetown University Law Center Alumni Admissions Committee
Penn State Lion Link Volunteer
Coach, Glen Cove Junior Soccer League
Lynn M. Ierardi
Cathy R. Sheffield
Melanie J. Norton
Gift Planning Advisor, LLC
Lynn has been in the estate and gift planning field for nearly 30 years. She has served as Director of Gift Planning for the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) from 2005-2023 and is currently the Director of Gift Planning for New York University. Lynn is also an independent gift planning consultant. Prior to joining Penn, she held gift planning positions in health and higher education, served as Vice President with the Merrill Lynch Center for Philanthropy and practiced estate planning and real estate law.
Lynn is a past Chair of the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners and a regular faculty member for the Planned Giving Course. She is a past board member and past President of the New Jersey Council of Charitable Gift Planners and a current board member of the Planned Giving Council of Greater Philadelphia (PGCGP). As a dynamic and highly rated speaker, Lynn has presented at conferences and meetings throughout the country on a variety of gift planning topics. Lynn is a graduate of Lycoming College and Fordham University School of Law.
Melanie J. Norton
Cathy R. Sheffield
Melanie J. Norton
Norton Philanthropic Counseling
Melanie is a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE), holding an M.B.A. from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University and a B.A. in business from Franklin College. She is a past Chair of the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners – the premier organization serving the thousands of individuals across the nation whose work involves charitable gift planning – where she led the organization through a hallmark name change and rebranding effort in (2016).
Melanie is passionate about philanthropy and the success of individuals and organizations that enhance the world in which we live. As an accomplished professional and leader, Melanie fueled her drive to make a meaningful impact with nonprofits and individuals throughout the nation by founding Norton Philanthropic Counsel (NPC). Her unique and broad-based background blends for-profit and not-for-profit experience in both business and fundraising. Melanie’s experience helps her provide the highly-customized and relationship-focused strategies needed for client success. She possesses an unwavering commitment to authenticity and honesty in her work.
Prior to the launch of NPC, Melanie was the vice president for development and alumni engagement at DePauw University where she led the successful $320 million comprehensive campaign. Melanie oversaw the strategy and fundraising efforts for the University and restructured and managed a staff of nearly 40 full-time professionals.
Cathy R. Sheffield
Cathy R. Sheffield
Cathy R. Sheffield
ThinkGiving
Cathy is the Founder and President of ThinkGiving. She is a fundraising executive with 25-years experience, specializing in major gifts and gift planning in healthcare and higher education for organizations such as Baylor Scott & White Health, Texas Health Resources, Cook Children’s Health System, and Texas Christian University. She is President of ThinkGiving, a planned giving firm based in Fort Worth, TX.
Cathy serves as an officer of the board of directors for the American Council on Charitable Gift Annuities and is a past-chair of the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners (CGP). Cathy is a member of the “Rollover Rangers” formally named the Charitable IRA Initiative. Cathy is a member of the American Institute for Philanthropic Studies faculty which administers the Certified Specialist in Planned Giving designation program. In 2015, Cathy was honored by the Fort Worth Metro Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals with The Ben Franklin Award for the Outstanding Professional Fundraising Executive.
Cathy received her MBA from Texas Christian University and a Bachelor of Science from North Dakota State University. Cathy is a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE), Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP®), Certified Specialist in Planned Giving (CSPG), and a Fellow in Charitable Estate Planning (FCEP).