Jennifer Baird is the Managing Director of Development at The PenFed Foundation for Military Heroes, where she leads fundraising strategy, donor engagement, and the cultivation of corporate, foundation, and individual partnerships. She brings more than a decade of experience in nonprofit development, major gifts, donor relations, and strategic relationship management.
Prior to joining The PenFed Foundation, Jennifer held fundraising, development, and client engagement roles with CharityEngine, the Army Historical Foundation, and University of Maryland Global Campus. At the Army Historical Foundation, she surpassed annual fundraising goals by securing more than $6.2 million in gifts and commitments in one year through strategic donor cultivation, personalized outreach, and solicitation. She has also presented on donor engagement and retention at the Bridge to Integrated Marketing & Fundraising Conference, one of the nation’s largest conferences for nonprofit fundraising and marketing professionals.
Jennifer’s connection to the military community is deeply personal. She raised two sons as a military spouse during her husband’s 20-year military career, an experience that shapes her commitment to service members, Veterans, and their families.
Jennifer earned a master’s degree in political studies from the University of Illinois Springfield.