Barbara Ciconte, Fundraising Partner

For more than twenty-five years, Barbara L. Ciconte, CFRE, has helped nonprofits think strategically and work smarter. Formerly Vice President of The Alford Group, a national consulting firm, and Associate Dean for Development and Alumni relations at American University’s Washington College of Law, she has experience in all facets of nonprofit management and resource development. Ciconte has worked with local, regional, and national organizations in strategic planning and assisted them in building more effective resource development programs in annual, capital and endowment giving, major gifts, planned giving, corporate and foundation relations, special events, and board/volunteer/staff training.

Prior to becoming a consultant for Beatrice Productions, she spent thirteen years at American University, where she served as the Associate Dean responsible for the overall development, alumni relations, and publications program for the university’s law school. Barbara was previously the law school’s Director of Development and in that position was responsible for managing the college’s successful $20 million capital campaign, which was part of the university’s $100 million Centennial Campaign. She has been involved in the successful solicitation of six and seven figure major gifts. Other positions held at American University included Director of Major Gifts and Director of the annual fund. Before joining the university staff, Ciconte was manager of fundraising projects for a national advocacy organization where she established the organization’s first major gifts program.

A leading national educator on fundraising and board development, Ciconte is the co-author of Fundraising Basics: A Complete Guide, Second Edition, 2001, published by Jones & Bartlett. She is an adjunct faculty member at New Century College, George Mason University in the Nonprofit Studies Program. Barbara served as the 2001-2002 Vice Chair for Professional Advancement of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and was responsible for the association’s educational programs and services. She has served on the AFP International Conference Education Advisory Council and helped revise AFP’s First Course in Fundraising for newcomers to the field and its Survey Course for mid-level professionals.

A past President of the AFP Greater Washington, DC Area Chapter, Barbara was honored by the DC Chapter in 1997 as its outstanding fundraising professional for her leadership and service to the profession.

She has a Masters Degree in Education from the State University of New York.