Bishop Burbidge is pleased to announce that Samantha Donohue is joining the Office of Development as Senior Director of Development, effective January 6, 2025. In this role, Samantha will be responsible for planning, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding a portfolio of major-gift and deferred-gift benefactors and prospective benefactors. Serving in a key leadership role for the Office, she will oversee the Foundation for the Catholic Diocese of Arlington and the moves management process for the entire office. She will create and manage a diocesan planned giving program, including supporting and educating parish and school leadership on planned giving.
Samantha began her development career at The Heritage Foundation. After several promotions, she served in her final role as Assistant Director for Online Membership Programs where she managed the digital fundraising program that raised $7 million annually and was a part of the $750 million Reclaim America comprehensive campaign. In 2018, she moved into the role of Marketing and Development Director for the Busch School of Business at The Catholic University. In this role, she oversaw all aspects of marketing and annual fund fundraising as well as had a major gifts portfolio. She worked on the launch of Light the Way: The Campaign for Catholic University that raised more than $518 million for the university. For the past 4.5 years, Samantha has served as the Associate Vice President of Administration in the Office of College Relations for Belmont Abbey College, where she is responsible for developing and executing the overall strategy for development, external relations, and the capital campaign. One of her major focuses has been on the college’s $150 million Made True campaign.
Samantha earned her Bachelor of Arts in Theology from Ave Maria University. She has a Master’s degree in Business Analysis, with a concentration in Marketing and Management, from The Catholic University of America as well as a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Fundraising from Avila University.
Samantha is actively involved in her faith and professional communities. She is a Board Member of the Charlotte Young Catholic Professionals chapter and serves on the Alumni Board at Ave Maria University. She is also a Member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and the Association for Christian Fundraising.
