Fundraising Specialist
$200M+ Raised Over Two Decades
Major & Principal Gift Strategies
Capital Campaigns
Chief Development Officer
Board Engagement
"Successful nonprofits have one thing in common. They have the right fundraising leader in the room when it counts." — Tom Claffey
Over more than two decades, Tom Claffey has served as Vice President for Advancement and Chief Development Officer at organizations navigating complexity and opportunity. His approach centers on aligning leadership, strengthening governance, and creating the conditions for philanthropy to perform at the highest level.
He brings a disciplined track record of translating strategy into execution — through board alignment, data-informed fundraising, clear institutional positioning, and accountability across teams. His systems make results repeatable and scalable over time.
A career defined by transformational gifts, landmark campaigns, and measurable institutional growth.
Across two-plus decades of senior advancement leadership
Two individual gifts at this level, plus two at $10M and three at $5M
Grew annual fundraising from $700K to $2.1M in just two years
Secured in legacy giving commitments through multiple Legacy Society launches
Joined an institution with untapped philanthropic potential and transformed its advancement infrastructure from the ground up — building endowment, corporate partnerships, and planned giving programs while personally driving major gift efforts.
Elevated fundraising from $700K to $2.1M within two years through strategic donor cultivation and team accountability.
Doubled the Foundation endowment from $4M to $8M over three years through major gift and planned giving strategy.
Founded the college's first Legacy Society, securing over $10M in planned giving commitments.
Expanded sponsorship revenue from $140K to $500K+, diversifying the institution's philanthropic base.
From independent schools to community colleges and senior living foundations, Thomas has led transformational campaigns that exceeded goals and reshaped organizational capacity.
Hun School of Princeton — Five-year campaign that grew annual giving fourfold and expanded donor participation by 300%.
Saint Peter's University — Surpassed the capital campaign goal by cultivating new alumni donors and significantly deepening engagement.
Springpoint Senior Living — Championed enterprise-wide philanthropy for the county's largest senior living foundation.
Chief Development Officer — Directed a $25.7M capital campaign; grew annual giving more than fourfold; expanded donor participation by 300%.
VP for Advancement / CDO — Surpassed a $30M+ capital campaign goal; cultivated new alumni donors and significantly increased institutional engagement.
VP for Advancement / CDO — Led a $25M+ endowment campaign; implemented Raiser's Edge and DonorPerfect; built formal moves management infrastructure.
Vice President College / Foundation Executive Director — Grew annual fundraising from $700K to $2.1M; doubled endowment to $8M; launched the institution's first Legacy Society.
President / Chief Philanthropy Advisor — Manage the philanthropy for a portfolio of high-net-worth individual and family foundations including multi-year philanthropy strategies.
Chief Philanthropy Officer & Founder — Advising nonprofits nationwide on campaign readiness, leadership positioning, and major gift strategy.
Philanthropy Solutions Group (PSG) was established in 2024 to bring senior-level advancement expertise to mission-driven organizations nationwide — across education, healthcare, and the broader nonprofit sector.
PSG specializes in campaign readiness assessment, leadership positioning, major gift cultivation, and systems implementation — delivering the infrastructure that makes fundraising results sustainable.
PSG provides fractional, consulting, interim and remote advancement services nationwide. PSG brings senior-level expertise without the full-time commitment.
Campaign readiness & feasibility
Major gift strategy & donor cultivation
Donor tracking, segmentation & reporting
Executive team advisory & positioning
Deep experience securing six- and seven-figure gifts through disciplined relationship management, moves management systems, and high-touch stewardship.
End-to-end campaign leadership — from feasibility and goal-setting through execution, volunteer engagement, and post-campaign momentum.
Skilled at activating board members as philanthropic champions — aligning governance with advancement goals and cultivating board-level giving.
Proficient in Raiser's Edge NXT, DonorSearch, Salesforce, and HubSpot — building systems that improve accuracy, segmentation, and fundraising performance.
Bucknell University
B.A., Economics and Sociology
The Hun School of Princeton
Certificate in Fundraising
Certificate in AI Fundraising — Nonprofit Tech for Good
Certificate in Digital Marketing & Fundraising
Tom Claffey's impact on philanthropic growth is consistently praised by those who experienced his leadership firsthand.
"Serving on the Foundation Board was always an inspiring experience. His strategic vision, passion for the mission, and ability to build authentic relationships transformed our fundraising efforts and significantly expanded our impact."
Jeffrey F. Perlman, CPCU, President North Atlantic Region, CBIZ Borden Perlman
"Steady, strategic, and deeply grounded in relationship-building. He knows how to turn ideas into revenue. If you're looking for someone who knows how to raise serious money while keeping mission and integrity at the center, Tom's your guy."
Marni Mendell, Fundraising and Impact Coach
"Tom doesn't just raise money; he builds sustainable advancement programs that secure long-term impact and organizational resilience. Highly recommend."
Laurence C. Gumina, CEO, Ohio Living
Thank you for viewing my website. I am seeking a senior full-time leadership role with a mission-driven organization. I also welcome fractional, contracted, interim and remote engagements where high-level advancement expertise is needed.
609-977-2031
Tom@thomasclaffey.com
linkedin.com/in/thomasclaffey/