Jaclyn Kramer
“When we do fundraising right, our donors also receive something—the knowledge that they changed a life and made the world a better place.”
“Fundraising is the gentle art of teaching the joy of giving.” Those words from Hank Rosso capture many elements of what it takes to raise support for a worthy cause: gentleness, art, teaching, joy, and giving. One would argue that those five elements, or more precisely, characteristics, are what make a great fundraiser. Ask anyone at VLJ about our fundraising and the response would be, “Yes, we have those five characteristics here, and her name is Jaclyn Kramer.” Gentleness, art, teaching, joy, giving, and more are what bring VLJ to honor, recognize, and appreciate Jaclyn Kramer as VLJ’s December 2022 Defender of Justice.
This recognition likely won’t come as a surprise to anyone familiar with VLJ, and much like the many elements that make up fundraising, there is so much more to Jaclyn. As VLJ’s Development Director, Jaclyn is a fundraiser, party planner (VLJ’s “Hostess with the Mostess”), cheerleader, storyteller, and embodiment of “six degrees of Kevin Bacon.” Jaclyn has been working her development magic at VLJ for nearly five years (her official five-year mark is in March 2023). Prior to joining VLJ, Jaclyn was at Covenant House International, supporting efforts to provide shelter, crisis care, and food to people experiencing poverty. Jaclyn’s fundraising and development experience is built on an educational foundation from Providence College in Providence, Rhode Island, where she received a degree in political science with a double minor in black studies and public and community service.
In her role as VLJ’s fundraiser, Jaclyn raises money from private entities to keep VLJ’s legal programs running. Jaclyn accomplishes this through events (annual gala, golf outing, summer soiree) and appeals (this writer would be remiss not to remind readers to have their year-end gifts to VLJ in before the end of the year; to donate, please click here). Always thinking about how VLJ can up its development game, Jaclyn is also planning the launch of a major and planned gifts program.
Jaclyn’s passion for fundraising and development is obvious. For Jaclyn, fundraising is about relationship building. Jaclyn also sees her development efforts as building a bridge between people who have the resources and the people who need them. Yet, this bridge is not one way. As Jaclyn says, “When we do fundraising right, our donors also receive something—the knowledge that they changed a life and made the world a better place.” Another element Jaclyn adds to her fundraising efforts is love, love for VLJ’s mission, its donors, the Board of Trustees, and her colleagues. “Everyone really does make my job easy. They are passionate, creative, smart, and they care about the mission like I do.”
Like any labor of love, there are challenges, and for Jaclyn, her biggest challenge is that she is the sole fundraiser for unrestricted gifts (working in tandem with VLJ Executive Director Cathy Kennan who handles the organization’s grants and restricted funding). For those unfamiliar with the term, unrestricted funding covers the gaps, and ensures that VLJ remains flexible with diversified funding. VLJ has continued to grow over the past five years and Jaclyn is excited to see VLJ grow, but that growth is challenging for one person to handle. In welcome news, VLJ is hiring a Development Associate to work alongside Jaclyn to help move VLJ forward.
While the majority of VLJ’s staff are attorneys, the passion for ensuring access to justice is shared by everyone, Jaclyn especially: “As a non-lawyer, I believe that everyone, everyone should care about justice, but it is hard bringing our mission to outside the legal community. People get it, but it is a ‘built-in’ community of donors.” This sentiment further underlines the bridge that Jaclyn has to build and the massive narrative shift she helps write to garner lasting support for civil legal services. A quote from Jaclyn that rings truer every time it is spoken: “Pro bono legal services are free to clients, but they are not free to coordinate.”
VLJ is blessed to have Jaclyn as its Development Director for the past five years, a role that has seen her take her expertise on the road to present at several conferences and write articles on fundraising and development which have appeared in Association of Professional Fundraising (AFP) and Management Information Exchange publications.
Originally from Long Island, Jaclyn’s impact on this Newark-based organization cannot be understated: she secured the first six-figure major gift from an individual donor in the VLJ’s history. Her impact is also keenly felt by her VLJ colleagues. Eric W. Hughes, the Bershad Communications Manager, remarked, “Is it possible to have an institution within an institution? Because if so, then Jaclyn surely is just that. Not just an institution, but a powerhouse. A powerhouse of strength, of kindness, of dedication, of compassion, and of know-how. From day one she has shown that she cares about the work and about the people with whom she works. I consider myself incredibly fortunate to learn from her, and very grateful to work alongside her in ensuring access to justice for people experiencing poverty.”
Outside of VLJ, Jaclyn is a member of the Young Professionals Board of Covenant House New Jersey. She also takes time to care for herself through yoga, running, and sewing lessons. Jaclyn can also be found enjoying time at home in Newark with her husband and two dogs.
While Jaclyn Kramer may be the woman who, since the age of 21, has had the goal of sitting across from someone to ask them for $1 million, she is also the woman whose worth, impact, and kindness easily exceeds that amount. Jaclyn will readily tell anyone who asks how grateful she is to work at VLJ, to have the boss and colleagues she does, to help changes lives; everyone at VLJ will readily express their profound gratitude to and for her. Thank you, Jaclyn, for being a master in the gentle art of teaching the joy of giving!
Cheers to five years and many more to come.