with Jennifer Higgins
Jennifer Higgins
Jennifer Higgins likes helping people and solving problems. As coordinator
of Development Research, she has the best of both worlds.
"I enjoy being a part of something that helps other people,"
she said. "At the University, I assist in the effort to raise money
for, among other things, scholarships, and that helps our students."
Jennifer's role on the fund-raising team is to identify potential donors.
She does so primarily through donor databases and information from the
Foundation Center, a non-profit organization that tracks information about
foundations. "It's like problem-solving," she said, equating
the process with putting together the pieces of a puzzle. "I try
to match potential donors with the right project, and I share this information
with the Development officers who are responsible for soliciting gifts.
I like watching everything come together and seeing the fruits of our
labor when a gift is made."
Jennifer came to Montclair State nearly two years ago from Hunter College,
where she was associate director of Development. She has also worked as
a grant writer for several non-profit organizations including New Opportunities
for Waterbury, an anti-poverty program; the Women's Prison Association
in New York; and the Greater Newark Conservancy, an environmental and
horticultural agency that educates, trains and supports communities in
creating environmentally safe neighborhoods.
"I enjoyed the social service aspect of these organizations,"
said Jennifer, who moved to New Jersey seven years ago when her husband,
Matthew, took a teaching job in the state. " I've always liked helping
others."
The most important part of her job, Jennifer says, is to know where potential
donors' interests lie. "Giving is a personal choice," she explained,
"Donors give based on philanthropic interests and they give where
their hearts are, where their love is. My job is to find out what that
is."
Fund raising for any organization is not an easy job in today's climate.
Jennifer explained that even before the Sept. 11 disaster, the economy
was on a downward spiral. "It was getting bad even before Sept. 11,"
Jennifer said. "Companies were cutting back anyway, and then the
attacks happened. Now people are giving their money, and appropriately
so, to help the families and victims in New York and Washington."
Jennifer, however, remains optimistic. "We think it's going to be
a tough year, but hopefully we can bounce back."