Student Sponsor Partners (SSP) is pleased to announce the appointment of Katie Pizzone (née Dearing) as its Chief Development Officer. A philanthropy leader, Katie will lead a skilled team to showcase the organization’s impact; build and sustain relationships with board members, dedicated sponsors and donors, and prospects; and broaden philanthropic investment in SSP’s mission.
Katie brings more than 17 years of experience in fund development in the areas of healthcare and education, with expertise in principal and major gifts, venture philanthropy, and coaching. Most recently, she served as Senior Director of Philanthropy at the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF), where she defined and executed their global principal and major gifts strategy, which contributed to an annual $30 million target. Before ADDF, she spent six years raising principal and major gifts at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. In that role, she advanced critical campaigns for capital projects, musculoskeletal disease research, and access to pediatric care for underserved populations.
Prior to her time in healthcare, Katie served in leadership roles at Student Sponsor Partners in New York City; St. Mary's Junior/Senior High School in Lynn, MA; and the Sacred Heart School in the South Bronx. In these roles, she has served as a fundraising coach and advisor to volunteers, principals, boards, and educators.
“Appointing Katie doubles as a homecoming of sorts, as she worked at Student Sponsor Partners more than a decade ago,” said Debra De Jesus-Vizzi, SSP’s executive director. “We are thrilled to have Katie back on board. She brings to her new position a wealth of knowledge and depth of experience in the nonprofit sector.”
“It is a privilege to rejoin the SSP community, and I am both eager and excited to partner closely with our donors, sponsors, mentors, staff, alumni, and the board to help advance the mission. As a mentor for the past 12 years, I have seen first-hand the transformative impact SSP has and am honored to lead the organization’s development efforts,” added Katie Pizzone.
Katie (pictured below) holds a master’s degree in nonprofit administration from the University of Notre Dame and a B.A. from the College of the Holy Cross. A proud Buffalo native (go, Bills!), she resides in Hoboken, NJ, with her husband and two children.
