About

Jennifer E. Schimmel has built her career on one unwavering principle – the importance of helping others.

While this bio and her resume will highlight her skills, it will not effectively share her passion for helping others; her belief that everyone deserves a hand-up, or her desire to be an agent of change to better the world. She has dedicated her life to this belief, passion, and desire that each day, we should live our lives by the Daffodil Principle: one person can create a majestic place, planting one bulb at a time, if they only start the journey. 

With over 24 years of experience, from her first job as a waitress to position, to her 1st fundraising position at Shakespeare & Company and her current consulting role as the Chief Business Development Officer at Betts Plumbing & Heating Supply Inc., Ms. Schimmel has dedicated both her personal and professional life to philanthropic endeavors, business growth and success, and relationship building, strategy and sustainable fundraising  to support the mission organization that are vital to fabric of our community. 

As the Executive Director of Omega Phi Alpha National Services Sorority and Omega Phi Alpha Foundation, Schimmel worked with the Omega Phi Alpha leadership team on effective daily operations, develop strong partnerships, create opportunities for engagements for both active and alumnae members, as well as design and implement a donor centric fundraising strategy, all working with volunteer staff remotely across the country.

12 years at the helm of Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity (GSHFH), as Executive Director, Jenn worked hard to increase both local and global education and advocacy designed to eliminate substandard housing through homeownership opportunities. Under her tenure, the affiliate increased the number of families served through homeownership, created new programming to support home repair and preservation projects, opened and sustained the operations of a ReStore to help fund the mission, increased financial support from the community through grants, individual supporters, and special events, as well as lead 7 Global Village trips to Guatemala to put her hands and feet into action. 

With her leadership and guidance, the organization increased fundraising through traditional appeals and cultivation by 113%, increased the net income from the annual Fall Feastival from a net profit of $12,000 to a net profit of over $50,000, all while reducing the amount of money spent to achieve the goal, and so much more. 

The central idea for Ms. Schimmel leadership and growth strategies for any business endeavors is focused on defining what success looks like and ensuring that the business is prepared to have Return on Investments (ROI) by ensuring that there is an “1” investment. As it impossible to have successful Return on Investments without an Investment. 

Jenn’s wealth of nonprofit and for profit leadership experience allows her to bring to any role she serves a practical approach to  planning, executing, and managing all aspects of business operations, growth planning and manger, client/customer/audience focused solutions, as well as specialized attention to fundraising in the areas of individual major gifts, general fundraising management, annual campaigns, fundraising within the faith communities, alumni stewardship, cultivation, counsel management, board recruitment/management/training, and executive management of large and small organizations.

Schimmel held fundraising and development positions with Hartford Area Habitat for Humanity, the Wadsworth Atheneum, VNA Hartford as well as Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, Mass.

In addition to her development and business consulting positions, Jenn is also committed to volunteer opportunities. She is the President of the Connecticut Alumna Association of Alpha Sigma since 1999, has served in numerous rolls in Alpha Sigma Alpha including colony development coordinator, advisor to the Theta Sigma Chapter, Advantage Coordinator and Board Member of the Alpha Sigma Alpha Foundation, and is currently serving as a member of Alpha Sigma Alpha Board Cultivation and Develop Leadership team. She is also a former member of the Home Builders Association of Western MA and the Springfield Young Professional Society, served as financial secretary for the First Park Memorial Baptist Church in Springfield, a member of the Board of Directors for the Capitol Region Conference of Churches, a member of the Board of Directors for the Children’s Chorus of Springfield, and as a member of the Board of Directors for the Rotary Club of Springfield. 

Jenn is also a 2007 FaithWorks Fellow, 2018 graduate of Leadership Pioneer Valley, 2016 Winner Top 25 Women to Watch and 2011 Winner of BusinessWest 40 Under Forty, and 2011 graduate of the Springfield Leadership Institute. 

Schimmel received a Bachelor’s Degree in Arts Management/Music from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and a Master of Science in Business Management and Marketing from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.