By Sarah Aldag
University Relations and UNH Foundation
603-862-3235

December 27, 2001

DURHAM, N.H. -- Mary Flaherty, '71, has joined the University of New Hampshire Foundation as director of major gifts. Reporting directly to Foundation President Young P. Dawkins III, she will be responsible for identifying and building relationships with donors and assisting them in making significant gifts to the university. She will also manage the foundation's major gifts team.

Flaherty was director of institutional advancement at the Pingree School in South Hamilton, Mass., where she planned, organized and directed the college preparatory school's advancement and external relations programs. Before that, she was director of development for San Francisco Day School and the director of the annual fund and alumni relations for San Francisco University High School.

"Mary Flaherty comes to us at just the right time," says Dawkins. "Her success in the major gift arena will be very important to us as we work toward the completion of our $100 million Next Horizon campaign for the University of New Hampshire."

A native of Winchester, Mass., Flaherty graduated cum laude from the university with a B.A. in psychology. "After twenty years in California, I am delighted to return to Durham and to the university," says Flaherty. "As a UNH student, I relied on scholarships and work study opportunities to help make ends meet and I understand how critical private support can be for someone who is working hard to realize his or her academic dream."

An accomplished speaker and expert on fundraising, Flaherty has earned high honors from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) for her presentations, including a CASE 10+ workshop on Asking for and Closing the Major Gift. In addition, she has been highly successful in designing fundraising programs and conducting solicitation training for boards, volunteers and staff for many non-profit organizations, including Legal Services for Children, The Learning Resources Network, and the Junior League of San Francisco.

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