Alumni Spotlight: Jennifer Klein 1996

Class of 1996 alumna Jennifer Dudeff Klein believes in the power of education and providing young people with the opportunities to thrive in all areas of life as she serves as the Chief Development Officer at Harlem Children's Zone.

 

Harlem Children's Zone is a place-based organization providing holistic supports to under-resourced communities with on-the-ground, all-around programming that builds up opportunities for children, families, and communities to thrive in school, work, and life.

 

“I believe deeply in the power of education and the fact that every child in this country should be provided with the opportunities to set themselves on a path to social and economic mobility,” said Jennifer. “I am lucky to work with a fantastic team of Executives and my Development team is best-in-class. Leading the fundraising effort at HCZ and leveraging my philanthropic expertise to further our work in Harlem, and across the nation, is truly a privilege and an honor.”

 

As the Chief Development Officer, Jennifer works closely with the CEO, President, and Board to raise the philanthropic capital that enables the organization to serve over 20,000 children and families in Central Harlem each year. In addition to fundraising, Jennifer serves as a thought partner to HCZ’s CEO on strategic planning and innovation and mentors high school seniors on their path to college.

Following Hamden Hall, Jennifer attended Colgate University where she graduated in 2000 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in international relations. While at Colgate, she worked as a student caller in the Office of Development. Through her time in the program, she managed fellow student callers and went on to co-chair the senior class gift. The experience helped pave the way for her career in philanthropy.

 

Professionally, Jennifer has spent her career fundraising for non-profit organizations including hospitals, universities, research foundations, and educational institutions. After seven years working in the healthcare/medical fundraising space at organizations such as NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and The Michael J. Fox Foundation, she began a new role at Harlem Children’s Zone where she worked as the Director of Major Gifts from 2007 to 2011.

 

With her family moving back to Connecticut, Jennifer decided to venture on a new path and began working at Greens Farms Academy in Westport as the Director of Advancement and External Affairs. She spent seven years leading the fundraising efforts, including the completion of GFA’s largest capital campaign in history, funding a new performing arts center, global studies center, a squash facility, and increased endowed financial aid.

 

Jennifer noted that as a Hamden Hall alumna, she knows what an independent school can offer a young person, and working at GFA offered a sense of familiarity as she had played on their fields as a student-athlete and the presence of community among faculty, staff, students, and parents was evident. While her time at Greens Farms Academy was full of career highlights, Jennifer was drawn back to her work in Harlem. In 2019, she returned to Harlem Children's Zone as the Chief Development Officer.

 

“I was all-in from the moment I met our Founder and President, Geoff Canada in 2007. My first four years at Harlem Children’s Zone left an indelible mark on me, professionally and personally,” said Jennifer. “I never felt that I was finished at the organization and when I was presented with the opportunity to return, I jumped at it.”

 

Currently, Jennifer and her husband Geoff live in Fairfield, Conn., with their 14-year-old daughter, Whitney, 11-year-old son, Charlie, and their dog, Boone. Outside of work, she enjoys staying active with running, golfing, paddle boarding, and taking on home renovation projects.