Jaime Levy Pessin
Fundraising Consultant
Jaime harnesses her experience as a former journalist and political organizer to create a compelling story for her clients, motivating donors and volunteers to invest in the causes they care most about.
Jaime has been instrumental in development efforts for The Chronicle, the independent student newspaper at Duke University, where, as a member of the Duke Student Publishing Company’s board, she helped achieve an ambitious goal during its first major gifts campaign. By reaching out to both new and existing donors and obtaining multi-year pledges, she played a significant role in the board’s forward-thinking plan to secure alumni support, ensuring the newspaper’s success in a changing media landscape. She continues to assist The Chronicle with its annual fund goals.
A founding member of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, Jaime started the New York state chapter of the grassroots gun violence prevention organization in December 2012. Jaime created a volunteer base stretching from New York’s urban centers to its small towns and rural areas, and mentored volunteer leaders to ensure the chapter’s growth and sustainability. She organized the group’s first Brooklyn Bridge March, which has become an annual event; spearheaded the chapter’s first Advocacy Day, which brought upwards of 80 volunteers to Albany to meet with their state legislators; and oversaw the New York chapter’s first peer-to-peer fundraising initiative, an innovative campaign that raised more than any other state chapter in the country.
During the 2018 election cycle, Jaime raised money for Congresswoman Lucy McBath, a Democrat who won in GA-06, a traditional Republican stronghold. Through a series of events and conversations, Jaime helped Rep. McBath develop a strong base of donors in New York City, and was her most effective volunteer fundraiser in the state.
Earlier in her career, Jaime was an award-winning journalist who covered topics ranging from misconduct by Wall Street brokers to North Carolina’s infamous beauty queen scandal. Her work has resulted in the addition of courtroom interpreters for Spanish speakers caught in North Carolina’s legal system and increased funding for legal aid lawyers in Illinois. Jaime’s work has appeared in The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Chicago Tribune, Newsday, and many other print and online publications.
Experience
New Yorkers Against Gun Violence
New York's oldest gun violence prevention group engaged Jaime as its Director of Development and Marketing. Jaime worked to nearly double NYAGV's revenue and helped the organization pivot from traditional fundraising strategies when the pandemic prevented in-person events. She oversaw the development of a new website, and played a crucial role in strategic planning for continued growth.
Texas Student Media, the parent company of the student newspaper, radio station and television station at University of Texas, hired Jaime to boost its grassroots fundraising during its annual Support Student Voices pledge drive. Jaime implemented a robust peer-to-peer campaign that engaged student journalists and their networks through social media and direct asks, ultimately boosting the pledge drive's results by 50 percent over the previous year.
The Carey Gabay Foundation
Named for Carey Gabay, a public servant killed by gunfire at a cultural celebration in Brooklyn, The Carey Gabay Foundation aims to provide intervention and healthy outlets to youth living in areas disproportionately affected by violence and poverty, starting in Crown Heights, at a community center named in Carey's memory. Jaime worked with the founder and board to help develop a mission for this new foundation, and created a first-year strategic plan and toolkit to guide the organization's fundraising efforts.
The Chronicle
Jaime has been instrumental in development efforts for The Chronicle, the independent student newspaper at Duke University, where, as a member of the Duke Student Publishing Company’s board, she helped achieve an ambitious goal during its first major gifts campaign. By reaching out to both new and existing donors and obtaining multi-year pledges, she played a significant role in the board’s forward-thinking plan to secure alumni support, ensuring the newspaper’s success in a changing media landscape. She continues to assist The Chronicle with its annual fund goals.
Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America
A founding member of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, Jaime started the New York state chapter of the grassroots gun violence prevention organization in December 2012. Jaime created a volunteer base stretching from New York’s urban centers to its small towns and rural areas, and mentored volunteer leaders to ensure the chapter’s growth and sustainability. She organized the group’s first Brooklyn Bridge March, which has become an annual event; spearheaded the chapter’s first Advocacy Day, which brought upwards of 80 volunteers to Albany to meet with their state legislators; and oversaw the New York chapter’s first peer-to-peer fundraising initiative, an innovative campaign that raised more than any other state chapter in the country.
Lucy McBath for Congress
During the 2018 election cycle, Jaime raised money for Congresswoman Lucy McBath, a Democrat who won in GA-06, a traditional Republican stronghold. Through a series of events and conversations, Jaime helped Rep. McBath develop a strong base of donors in New York City, and was her most effective volunteer fundraiser in the state. Jaime currently serves on Rep. McBath's finance committee.
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