Caren Copening, MSW
Chief Development Officer
Time at AJFCS: 4 Years
I’m part of the AJFCS/LJRFS team because my work here reminds me every day of the wonderful things that can be accomplished as a result of donors’ generosity. Unlike many fundraisers who are removed from the activities for which they raise money, at JFCS, each day brings me another opportunity to see and ‘touch’ the lives of people helped by this agency. It’s such a pleasure to communicate to donors how their giving changes lives and to have an endless supply of real examples to share with them. As a social worker myself, it’s very gratifying to be part of an organization that is always moving towards making the world better.”
Caren Copening is the Chief Development Officer for the Alpert Jewish Family & Children’s Service (AJFCS) and the Levine Jewish Residential & Family Service, where she established and oversees the agency’s fundraising efforts, coordinates public relations and is a leading participant in the agencies’ communications and marketing teams.
Prior to joining the staff of AJFCS, Mrs. Copening served as the Associate Campaign Director at the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County, where she managed a $24 million annual fundraising campaign and maintained a portfolio of various fundraising and donor relations activities. Her career has spanned a variety of arenas, including developmental disabilities, HIV/AIDS, and synagogue management. Over the years, her professional appointments have included memberships on regional health planning councils and as a field instructor for the Rutgers University and New York University schools of Social Work. She has presented nationally on topics including effective collaborations, campaign planning, and ethics in fundraising.
Mrs. Copening has a bachelor’s degree with high honors from Douglass College, where she was inducted as a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She also has a Masters degree in Social Work from Rutgers University. Mrs. Copening was recently selected as a member of Leadership Palm Beach County’s class of 2012.