Meet our team.
Jenny Grabmeier, Principal
Jenny is sought after for her unique ability to create big-picture strategies and turn them into doable execution for teams and organizations of every size, and for her deep knowledge of the fundraising business. Before joining Gifted Communications, she served as chief of staff for the Vice President of Development and led fundraising communications at The Ohio State University for nearly 10 years. There, Jenny led communications planning and execution for a $3B comprehensive campaign, including crafting targeted cases for support for 20+ colleges and departments. She oversaw communications for principal and major gift cultivation and solicitation, board member engagement, events, and donor relations and stewardship for the university’s 100K+ donors, and she directed a team of proposal writers who partnered with gift officers in raising more than $50M annually. With the university’s creative director, Jenny also created Ohio State’s first-ever comprehensive brand guidelines.
Prior to Ohio State, Jenny managed communications and public relations for BalletMet Columbus, one of the nation’s 15 largest dance companies. She served on the executive committee for the Columbus Arts Marketing Association. And she was arts editor ofThe Other Paper for six years, a weekly newspaper with a readership of more than 280,000. Jenny holds an M.A. in journalism and a B.A. in English from Ohio State.
Alice Duncanson, Principal
Clien
ts rave—rave!—about Alice’s ability to quickly assess a situation and work seamlessly alongside their teams to share the heart of their mission with donors. Alice got her start at a social service agency, where as the first-ever dedicated grant writer, she quickly doubled revenue from private funders. As the development writer and editor at COSI, one of the nation’s leading centers of science, she led proposal development on the largest corporate gift in the organization’s history, while bolstering annual giving results and acquiring new program sponsors despite the economic recession.
Before founding Gifted Communications, Alice created major and principal gift proposals ($5M+), campaign case statements and concept papers for The Ohio State University. She worked with academic and medical center leadership—often across disciplines—to develop persuasive cases for support for the university’s most loyal and influential donors. Alice holds an M.F.A. in creative writing from The Ohio State University and a B.A. in English from the University of Iowa.
Stephanie Waite, Chief Content Strategist
Stephanie has earned a reputation for bringing clarity and precision to complex projects and creating donor communications that harness an organization’s authentic voice. She is energized by the creative process.
Steph’s passion for donor communications was sparked by a graduate school internship more than a decade ago with the Human Rights Campaign. Through that lens she learned firsthand the value and significance of an organization’s relationship with its supporters and how clear, authentic communication is at the heart of that connection.
A writer and editor with experience in business, academic, and non-profit settings, Stephanie spent nine years focusing on the art and science of creating donor-centric content for The Ohio State University. As content director in the Office of Advancement, she worked with internal partners to create strategic, highly targeted communications for donors at the annual, major, and principal gift levels. Prior to that she managed the direct mail and phonathon fundraising programs for WOSU, a multi-outlet public broadcasting station.
Stephanie holds an M.A. in public communication from American University and a B.A. in English from The Ohio State University.
Associates
Rick Harrison, Harrison Image
Clients say many things about Rick—thoughtful, creative, efficient, honest, and above all, an easy guy to work with. Rick’s varied background and eagerness to learn new things has filled his quiver with a variety of talents, including photography, videography, graphic design, and motion graphics.
Prior to founding Harrison Image, Rick was a senior art director for The Ohio State University, where he directed staff and freelance graphic designers, photographers, and videographers. He played a major role in the redesign and production of the university’s flagship publication, Ohio State Alumni magazine. Working with the development team, he directed and produced hundreds of print and digital materials to contribute to the university’s $3B campaign. Before that, Rick had a wide-ranging career in journalism. Starting as a photographer, Rick meandered his way through newsrooms around Ohio, becoming a photo editor, news editor, copy desk chief, and multimedia editor. He holds a B.S. in photojournalism from Kent State University.
Nicky Bennett, Grants Specialist
Nicky is adept at creating strategic fundraising communications that establish a highly compelling case for support, while conveying the passion his clients feel for the organizations and causes they represent. In his career as a grant writer and fundraising strategist, Nicky has created targeted donor communications that engage and motivate audiences for a wide variety of non-profit organizations. He specializes in articulating the needs of healthcare organizations and social service agencies that serve disenfranchised and vulnerable populations.
Nicky holds a B.S. in nonprofit management from the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs, consistently ranked one of the top schools of public affairs in the country. While earning his Master of Public Health degree, Nicky devoted his research agenda to addressing health disparities by increasing access to healthcare for marginalized populations. He firmly believes in the non-profit sector’s role in addressing social and health inequities. His passion for healthcare and human services articulates captivating donor communications that motivate supporters and strengthen donor relationships.
Mr. Kafka, Office Manager
Mr. Kafka got his start in the non-profit sector as an adoptable dog with Stop the Suffering rescue group. As Gifted's office manager, his welcoming demeanor and unwavering loyalty make him a client favorite. In his free time Mr. Kafka enjoys squirrel-chasing, belly rubs, and naps in the sun.
