Jennifer Pelton

Jennifer K. Pelton, CFRE joined the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press in January 2019 as the Director of Development. She is a veteran fundraiser and nonprofit manager with more than 25 years of experience.

Ms. Pelton's career has spanned arts management and social justice causes. Prior to joining the Reporters Committee, she served as the lead fundraiser for the Public Justice Center in Maryland from 2003–2018. There, she oversaw the organization’s financial growth from $1 million to $2.3 million annual budget. Ms. Pelton previously served as the executive director of the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra and also worked with the Baltimore Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound program, the House of Ruth and Safe Against Violence.

Ms. Pelton has held the distinguished international credential of Certified Fund Raising Executive since 2006 and graduated from the AFP Faculty Training Academy in 2010. She held several leadership positions as a board member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Maryland Chapter

As a consultant, teacher and facilitator, Ms. Pelton has focused her practice on supporting small shop practitioners and nurturing effective fundraising boards. Ms. Pelton has published numerous articles in the Grassroots Fundraising Journal and the Management Information Exchange Journal.

She co-created, with Linda Beeman (Aurora Grants and Consulting), a toolkit that helps nonprofit organizations build and implement effective development plans. They have taught hundreds of professionals and volunteers this method over the past few years including at the Association of Fundraising Professionals International Conference.

Ms. Pelton earned a Bachelor of Science cum laude from Wells College. She is the proud mother of three (grown) children and happily resides with her husband and a handful of furred friends in Baltimore, Maryland.