For Susan Damiani ’87CBA, the future of St. John’s University
begins today.
As Director of the Office of Gift Planning, she is responsible
for offering our alumni and friends a variety of ways to include
St. John’s in their estate plans while, at the same time, helping
to protect their own financial security.
“In my position, I really feel like I’m an educator,” she said.
“Many people don’t understand what planned giving means, because it
sounds like such a technical term. I explain to them that it’s
nothing more than agreeing to make a future gift to St. John’s, so
that the University knows that down the road it can rely on
continued funding to help our students and keep our mission strong.
That’s really all there is to it.”
Damiani noted that most planned giving donors are 55 years of
age or older, primarily because younger individuals are not as
concerned with making a will or planning their estates. She is
committed to doing what she can to encourage younger donors to
consider making a planned gift as a way of ensuring that future
students will be able to enjoy the benefits of a St. John’s
education.
“Many people in the younger age bracket either don’t know that
much about estate planning or they’re just not concentrating on
their own financial planning, even though they should be,” she
said. “A single professional in his or her mid-40s can be a great
planned giving donor, and an important part of my job is getting
out in front of alumni of all ages and educating them about the
ways to give back.”
After earning her B.S. in Marketing from St. John’s College of
Business Administration, this energetic alumna began her career in
the Public Relations Department of Advertising Age, where she
planned events and conferences in locations around the world. She
then transitioned into the non-profit sector, working for the
Diocese of Brooklyn as Associate Director of the Futures in
Education Foundation. Her duties included supervising the Be An
Angel To A Student Program, where she was responsible for
recruiting donors to sponsor the Catholic school education of
children from economically burdened families.
“That was really a special project,” she recalled. “There were a
lot of families that couldn’t afford to provide their children with
a Catholic education, and the generosity of some wonderful donors
helped to change the lives of those families and their children
forever. I’m very proud to have been a part of that program.”
Arriving at St. John’s in 2005 to assume her current position,
Damiani was overwhelmed by the changes that had taken place on
campus since her student days. “When I came for my first day of
work, I almost didn’t recognize the University with so many new
buildings and programs. To see where we are today with our global
presence is amazing and very exciting.”
Among the things she enjoys most about working at St. John’s is
the opportunity to interact with the members of The McCallen
Society, a special donor recognition group for individuals who have
made a planned gift to the University. She also enjoys planning and
participating in events for alumni who attended either the Lewis
Avenue or Schermerhorn Street campus, welcoming the chance to reach
out to St. John’s most senior alumni as an opportunity to put her
Vincentian ideals into action.
“My life is really intertwined with theirs,” she said. “and over
the years so many have really become my friends. I see that
sometimes they need extra help, like they may be going to an event
and they’ll ask me to join them for company. I’m helping one person
right now who has no family and is looking to sell her house and
move into an assisted-living center. That’s how I carry out my
Vincentian mission. I have the opportunity to go and help people,
which makes my job so rewarding.”