Introducing | Meet NYFA’s New Development Team
Katherine Delaney, Kimberly Goodis, and Hannah Berry are equal parts artist and non-profit professional.
The New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) takes pride in supporting artists of all disciplines and career stages. Many of our staff are artists who bring a unique understanding and approach to their nonprofit work on behalf of artists everywhere. As such, we’re thrilled to introduce you to NYFA’s new development team: Katherine Delaney, Director; Kimberly Goodis, Senior Officer of Individual Giving and Special Events; and Hannah Berry, Development Officer of Individual Giving and Foundations. Equal parts artist and non-profit professional, their backgrounds and experiences make a great contribution to NYFA. Take a moment to learn more about the team and why NYFA’s mission matters to them.
In January 2019, Katherine Delaney joined NYFA as Director of Development, bringing with her over 19 years of fundraising experience, particularly in the areas of Board Development, Major Gifts, Annual Fund Development, and Foundation and Corporate Giving. Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, Delaney immigrated to Canada at the age of four. Her mother was a painter, and her arts immersion began at a young age. As she puts it, “The arts have been my passion ever since I sat down at my first piano when I was five years old, and performed my first dance on stage when I was eight.” She carried this passion with her, later attaining a Bachelor of Music degree and a Master of Arts degree in Musicology while working professionally as an accompanist for choirs and singers. In her development experience, Delaney has been responsible for initiating a new major donor campaign at the Canadian Opera Company and conceiving of the Alumni Arts membership at The School of the Arts at Columbia University. Prior to NYFA, she served as Director for the Major Gifts Department at the Metropolitan Opera Guild, and was responsible for increasing Board and Individual Giving by 85%.
When asked why Delaney chose to join NYFA, she said: “After I graduated with a music degree, I had very few resources to help me navigate a career as a working musician. Something like NYFA didn’t exist where I lived.” Delaney recognizes the vital role NYFA plays in the cultural community, and as Director of Development she hopes to underscore the importance of this work and help to inspire engagement from donors, NYFA-affiliated artists, and art-lovers alike. Her dedication to fundraising is motivated by an appreciation for “being around people who are philanthropic, who truly give of themselves.” As she says: “Year after year, my interactions with donors fill me with joy and love for humanity – thank you to all of you who give!” Delaney currently resides in Montclair, NJ with her husband and three children.
Though both Delaney and Kimberly Goodis are new to NYFA, they’ve worked with each other for the past five years, and bring with them a strong sense of camaraderie. Before joining NYFA in March as Senior Officer for Individual Giving & Special Events, Goodis spent over a decade at Lincoln Center, serving as Assistant Company Manager and Manager of Audience Development at New York City Opera, and most recently as the Manager of Public Programs at the Metropolitan Opera Guild. She holds a Bachelor’s in Music Business degree from Rutgers University and a Masters in Arts Administration degree from New York University, and developed her nonprofit administrative skills at the American Repertory Ballet, George Street Playhouse, and Westminster Choir College. Goodis’ career path is inspired by her personal experiences. “The arts have played such a huge part in shaping who I am as a person, and I’m passionate about its ability to positively impact people’s lives,” said Goodis. She is enthusiastic about her new role at NYFA as she has “seen first-hand how groundbreaking the right funding and support can be.” She is looking forward to building up initiatives and creating systems that will increase NYFA’s impact and success. Beyond her professional experience, Goodis is also a trained clarinetist, and has played for nearly 15 years. In addition, she loves musical theater and feels strongly connected to classical ballet and orchestral music: “New York has always been the place where I go to experience art – I love that NYFA supports that artistic community!”
While Hannah Berry has taken on the new title of Development Officer of Individual Giving and Foundations, she’s been a part of the NYFA staff since August of 2017. Berry previously worked in the NYFA Grants department, assisting in the administration of the NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship. She says: “My experience at NYFA has really helped me grow professionally, and I’m proud to now be able to serve such a vital role in the development of the organization.” Originally from Alaska, Berry was raised by a family of artists including her late grandfather, the esteemed wildlife artist William “Bill” Berry. She moved from remote Alaska to bustling New York City in 2015 to pursue a graduate education, and received a Master of Fine Arts degree in Painting & Drawing from Pratt Institute in 2017. After graduating, she participated in the Trestle Artist Residency in Brooklyn, NY. Her recent group exhibition history includes Brooklyn-based galleries such as La Bodega Gallery, Trestle Gallery, NYFA Gallery, Williamsburg Art and Historical Center, and The Boiler | Pierogi. Berry confesses that her life as an artist is complemented by her work at NYFA: “In my nearly two years here, I’ve witnessed first-hand how important our services are for the arts community, and have received so much praise on behalf of NYFA. This experience has infiltrated so much of my own artistic life, and I find myself inspired almost daily by the the artists we support.”
Meet Delaney, Goodis, and Berry at The New York Foundation for the Arts’ 2019 Hall of Fame Benefit honoring Sanford Biggers, Karl Kellner, and Min Jin Lee. Taking place on April 11 at Capitale in Manhattan, the event will feature cocktails, dinner, a live/silent auction of art, and much more!
You can purchase tickets to the benefit here. For more information about NYFA’s Hall of Fame Benefit, please contact Kimberly Goodis at [email protected] or 212.366.6900 x 207.
All tickets to NYFA’s 2019 Hall of Fame Benefit come with a limited-edition signed print by Sanford Biggers. Learn more about NYFA’s Hall of Benefit here. Sign up for NYFA’s bi-weekly newsletter, NYFA News, to receive announcements about future NYFA events and programs.
Images: Hannah Berry, Katherine Delaney, and Kimberly Goodis, Image Credit: Amy Aronoff for NYFA; and NYFA’s 2018 Hall of Fame Benefit, Image Credit: Jay Brady Photography
