Ruth Modlin Ellett
Ruth Modlin Ellett, CFRE, has earned a reputation for fundraising success, professionalism, high ethical standards, effectiveness as a teacher, and generosity of spirit and time. She has demonstrated her deep commitment both to building private philanthropy and to uplifting the development profession for more than 35 years, more than 20 of these at the helm of Modlin Ellett Associates.
Ruth has made a significant difference as a consultant to a wide variety of nonprofit, government, and faith-based organizations and as a development staff leader at public and private arts and educational foundations, large and small. She achieves results through developing relationships with community leaders and decision makers and by building effective partnerships. Ruth is particularly skilled in implementing new concepts and refining existing systems to streamline fundraising for success.
In 2015 her peers awarded Ruth the Nina Abady Award, presented annually by the Virginia Association of Fundraising Executives to a fundraising professional who has demonstrated utmost excellence in the field of development.
In 2001, she established Modlin Ellett Associates, an innovative, problem-solving consultancy focused on building capacity and creating sustainable funding in nonprofit organizations. For more than two decades, the firm has specialized in developing strategies and support for planning capital campaigns, major gift programs, donor communications and board development.
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Ruth is a member and past president of Virginia Association of Fundraising Executives and a past president of the Central Virginia Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. She is a former chair of the Charitable Gaming Board of Directors for the Commonwealth of Virginia. She currently serves on the board of the St. James’s Children’s Center and on the Advisory Board of the Institute on Philanthropy at the University of Richmond.
In addition to consulting, Ruth regularly gives presentations and conducts seminars and workshops for a wide range of conferences and governing boards. Among the organizations she has addressed are the Institute on Philanthropy at the University of Richmond, Virginia Healthcare Association, the Consortium of Endowed Episcopal Parishes, the Central Virginia Chapter of AFP (Association of Fundraising Professionals) and Virginia Association of Fundraising Executives (VAFRE).
As a past senior warden of the vestry of St. James’s Episcopal Church, Ruth served on the steering committee for the church’s $8-million capital campaign, as well as the church’s $1-million endowment campaign. She has co-chaired the church’s annual giving campaign, and is one of the founders of WomanKind, the church’s internationally recognized biennial women’s conference.
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During her tenure in the University of Richmond’s Advancement Office, Ruth was assistant director of a $55-million capital campaign, moving up the ladder from director of the Annual Fund to director of Special Projects and Major Gifts.
Ruth served as director of James Madison University’s first capital effort, a $2.2-million campaign for a new College of Business building. She also established a highly successful Faculty Fellows program that resulted in new funding to provide release time for faculty to pursue research opportunities.
As The Valentine’s Director of Development, Ruth created and implemented funding strategies for a capital campaign that raised more than $19 million for the Richmond museum. Working effectively with volunteer leadership and staff, she led an annual fund effort that increased revenue by 10% each year.
As Finance Director for the Democratic Party of Virginia, the Democratic House and Senate Caucuses, and a statewide campaign, Ruth directed an effort that raised more than $1.4 million in six months for an Attorney General’s race; developed a donor base of more than 3,300 contributors; and enlisted and managed business and political leaders across the state to organize and host more than 80 fundraising events.
As Director of Development at the Arts Council of Richmond (now Cultureworks), Ruth established a comprehensive development program that significantly expanded annual and special project giving. Corporate contributions doubled and individual contributions increased by 40% in the first six months of her tenure.
Ruth earned a B.A. in Art History from Salem College in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. In 2003, she obtained the CFRE (Certified Fundraising Executive) credential. Ruth is a graduate of Leadership Metro Richmond.
