The ACLU of New Jersey today announced the election of its newest board member, Donna Leonard, who has more than 15 years of nonprofit development and fundraising experience. Leonard’s appointment to the board is at a crucial time in the organization’s history as it works to hold the Trump administration accountable for its unprecedented threats to democracy.
“Donna brings deep knowledge in equity-centered fundraising, and I’m thrilled for her to join our Board of Trustees,” said ACLU-NJ Executive Director Amol Sinha. “Her expertise in innovative development strategies, organizational growth, and nonprofit governance will help ensure the ACLU of New Jersey is ready to build a better future for all.”
Currently, Leonard serves as the Vice President of Major Gifts at UNICEF USA where she oversees a nationwide major giving team that raises more than $60 million annually to support UNICEF’s global mission.
“Joining the ACLU of New Jersey Board of Trustees is deeply personal for me,” said ACLU-NJ Board of Trustees Member Donna Leonard. “At a time when our rights are under attack – in classrooms, courtrooms, and communities – I am more committed than ever to protecting and advancing civil liberties for all. The ACLU-NJ is on the front lines of this fight, from safeguarding voting rights and our democracy to expanding reproductive freedom, and so much more. I’m proud to lend my voice and labor to this work, because silence is not an option and justice simply cannot wait.”
Most recently, Leonard oversaw the creation of the ACLU’s Nationwide Development Resources team which is responsible for coordinating donor strategy and coaching, portfolio analytics, and major gifts resources across the national and 54 state offices. Prior, Leonard worked for Human Rights Watch in a range of capacities from developing new fundraising markets to directing the New York Committee of supporters.
“Donna has dedicated her career to bolstering development programs across the nonprofit sector, and the ACLU-NJ Board of Trustees is grateful for her invaluable expertise,” said ACLU-NJ Board of Trustees President Marc Beebe. “She also brings strong knowledge about the current issues impacting civil liberties from her time at the ACLU, and I know her expertise will help amplify our work to protect and expand the rights of all New Jerseyans."
As a member of the ACLU-NJ Board of Trustees, Leonard will support the organization’s mission to preserve, advance, and extend the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every New Jerseyan by the state and federal constitutions in the courts, in the legislature, and in their communities.