RESUME

ASHANTE R. PATTERSON, MCM

West Orange, NJ 07052• ashantepatterson@gmail.com • (908)-821-6517 • https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashante-r-patterson

Portfolio: https://www.ashanterayapatterson.com

SUMMARY

Dynamic, results-driven fundraising and communications professional with over ten years of experience in the higher education, healthcare, and nonprofit sectors developing, and executing successful direct mail and digital campaigns. Proven track record of executing strategic communication plans, managing special events, cultivating donor relationships, and leveraging digital platforms to drive engagement and achieve fundraising goals that align with organizational missions. Adept at managing multiple projects simultaneously and overseeing communication projects as well as fundraising initiatives focused on donor acquisition, retention, and engagement, while leveraging data-driven insights to enhance effectiveness. Passionate about using communication to advance social good, particularly in health and education equity for underrepresented populations. 

EDUCATION

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey- New Brunswick, NJ

Master of Communication & Media (MCM), specialization: Health Communication

Bachelor of Arts in English, concentration: Business & Technical Writing

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Communications & Marketing Manager May 2022-Present

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (Mount Sinai Health System)- New York, NY

  • Lead communication and fundraising campaigns for the Department of Global Health and Health System Design and the Arnhold Institute for Global Health (AIGH), improving donor engagement and acquisition through targeted initiatives such as Giving Tuesday, increasing donations by 50%.

  • Delivers engaging content by creating communication plans that drive stakeholder engagement and donor cultivation, and formalized branding guidelines for the institute and department.

  • Increased social media engagement by 50% by designing and streamlining a comprehensive social media strategy to engage stakeholders and educate them about AIGH’s partnerships and initiatives.

  • Revitalizes digital fundraising to strengthen the department and institute’s reputation. Supports stewardship by promoting AIGH’s global partnership fundraising pages and initiatives to improve donor cultivation.

  • Collaborate with Marketing, Development, Digital, and Consumer Insights teams to identify prospective donors, optimize fundraising and marketing strategies, and drive donor retention.

  • Spearheads the planning and creation of AIGH’s donor newsletter and the launch of its first blog, increasing stakeholder engagement.

  • Oversees website updates and the development of new content. Leads the process of revamping the website and department page and acts as the primary point of contact for external vendors.

  • Responsible for executing events such as the webinar series, grand rounds, and a range of other externally focused events with senior stakeholders.

  • Developed and executed a comprehensive donor communication program, including newsletters and impact reports, to strengthen donor relations and increase stakeholder engagement.

  • Facilitate and compose the annual impact report for the department, institute and for the Dean; along with quarterly reports for philanthropic donors of the institute.

  • Supervised a team of students and consultants, fostering a collaborative, performance-driven culture.

Development & Alumni Relations Assistant Nov 2018-October 2021

Rutgers Graduate School of Education (GSE) Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey- New Brunswick, NJ

  • Recognized for restructuring the development department by introducing innovative procedures that substantially increased donor cultivation and annual giving.

  • Developed and streamlined workflows for the department, assisting the Director of Development with increasing donations and improving efficiency in grant administration and reporting to meet the department and various programs’ target goals.

  • Orchestrated the development and execution of communication deliverables and strategies, to keep donors engaged and informed, increasing donor engagement by 35% through improved reporting and targeted communications such as e-newsletters, thank you letters, and impact reports to re-engage alumni to the school.

  • Led and created Rutgers Giving Day communications strategy raising over $7K by collaborating with alumni and stakeholders to support university fundraising goals.

  • Assisted in the grant proposal process that brought in potential grantors and institutional funders in the range of $10K-50K; while maintaining the department’s budget.

  • Refined foundation, federal, and corporate grant applications, by researching and identifying grant opportunities that support the GSE’s programs, initiatives, and faculty research.

  • Managed communications and stakeholder engagement strategies for the Graduate School of Education (GSE) by launching the Graduate School of Education Alumni Association (GSEAA) website, which increased traffic to the GSE and GSEAA. 

  • Utilized CRM software (e.g., Marketo and Cvent) to manage donor engagement, track contributions, and create impact reports for stakeholders, etc. while also ensuring that promotional items and solicitation materials fit the university’s branding guidelines.

  • Focused on planning, writing, copy editing, and designing story algorithms for the Rutgers Graduate School of Education e-newsletter while working in direct collaboration with the Director throughout the entire process.

  • Facilitated, restructured, and supervised the implementation of fundraising, communications, media, digital marketing, and alumni programs to assure they align with the university’s mission and strategies.

  • Conducted interviews to create and write donor, staff, and alumni stories to assist the Director of Communications and Marketing with stories to be featured in the annual Graduate School of Education Impact Report.

Freelance Content Writer/Manager May 2018-Present

MarkellMedia, LLC- Remote

  • Developed and managed targeted content for various clients’ websites using SEO best practices, metrics, and WordPress. 

  • Discussed the scope and intended purpose of the clients’ websites from conceptualization through production to ensure the clients’ vision for their websites was brought to life. 

  • Provided expertise to clients advising them on the creation of targeted communication and marketing plans designed specifically for their business needs to improve customer engagement with their brand. 

Development Assistant Jan 2017-Nov 2017

National Bleeding Disorders Foundation- New York, NY

  • Managed the grants calendar to ensure that proposal and report deadlines were met.

  • Expanded health partnerships with organizations by 25% through strategic communications and stakeholder engagement.

  • Drafted and managed the creation of thank you letters, letters of inquiry for grants, and press releases on campaigns that affect individuals with hemophilia. 

  • Streamlined the development communication process by highlighting and creating targeted messaging for content utilized for press releases, articles, social media, and grant applications for hemophilia research and advancement.

  • Collaborated with the Communications Director and Director of Development to create donor and prospect profiles to engage stakeholders in the giving process.

Fundraising Coordinator Feb 2016-Dec 2016

All Stars Project of New Jersey- Newark, NJ

  • Coordinated pre- and post-award activities, managing prospecting efforts for institutional funders in collaboration with the Director. Drafted newsletters, proposals, and stewardship activities. 

  • Handled all fundraising administration and annual giving, grant applications, grant reports, and correspondence between private foundations, local, state, corporate, and federal government agencies. Organized recruitment of volunteers and members for various program initiatives. 

  • Collaborated with the marketing team of the Scott Flamm Center for Afterschool Development assuring that marketing materials were designed specifically to encourage donors to increase their likelihood of giving donations. 

  • Revamped the communications platform to enhance the website through innovative updates via Mailchimp, while also drafting social media content and newsletters which increased community outreach efforts by 25%. 

LEADERSHIP & CAMPUS INVOLVEMENT

Co-Chair/Special Advisor, Rutgers Global Health Institute Student Council Alumni Committee Oct 2019-April 2021

  • Served on the Alumni Engagement Committee raising awareness of global health issues and assisted with facilitating alumni events to strengthen involvement with the institute.

Co-Vice President, Master of Communication & Media Graduate Student Organization Oct 2019-July 2020

  • Created a system to streamline effective communication strategies for student involvement and spearheaded the organization of campus-wide events.

CORE COMPETENCIES & SKILLS

● Special Event Planning ● Content Management Systems (WordPress, Squarespace, Drupal) ● Project Management ● SEO ● Communication Strategy ● Writing & Editing ●Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator) ● Public Relations ● Raiser’s Edge ● Marketo ● Mailchimp ● Constant Contact ● Social Media Tracking Tools ● Google Suite & Google Analytics ● Ellucian CRM Advance ● Grants Administration ● MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Access) ● Cvent ● ScaleFunder ● Campaign Management