Life & Legacy Team

Katherine "Kathy" Sarlson (she/her) is the National Director of Life & Legacy, leading efforts to help communities across the U.S. and Canada build endowments through legacy giving. With 35+ years in fundraising, strategic planning, and capacity building, she specializes in planned giving and endowments. As AVP of Planned Giving at Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health, she grew planned giving from $10M to $35M in six years. She has also held leadership roles at Federation Housing, Albert Einstein Healthcare Network, and the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia. Kathy holds an A.B. from the University of Michigan, an M.T.S. from Harvard Divinity School, and an M.B.A. from Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

Dena Kaufman is a Life & Legacy Community Consultant. In her role at HGF, she provides training and support to communities across North America, to secure meaningful after-lifetime gifts. Prior to joining HGF, Dena served as the Director of Philanthropy for Sojourner Center, the nation’s largest domestic violence shelter. Dena began her career at the Jewish Federation of Phoenix working on the annual campaign. In her role as the Development Director at URJ Camp Newman, she established an annual campaign and a Legacy Society while planning and implementing a $30 million capital campaign. These initiatives serve as her legacy to her beloved childhood camp. Dena has a B.A. in Business, Public, and Private Administration from the University of California, Riverside, is a Certified Fundraising Executive and a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy.

Tamra Dollin is a Life & Legacy Community Consultant, providing training and support to communities across North America to secure meaningful after-lifetime gifts. Working in the Jewish community for over 25 years, Tammy most recently directed the establishment of Ramah in the Rockies, focusing on project management, fundraising, and board development. She is a certified professional Co-Active coach. Tammy holds Master’s Degrees from Columbia University (MSW) and the Jewish Theological Seminary, and an undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley. Tammy is an alumna of the Wexner Graduate Fellowship.

Nicole has nearly a decade of experience in fundraising development, relationship building, and strategic communications, She has worked in both higher education and the Jewish communal world. Most recently, Nicole served as Associate Director of Development for Student Success at Drexel University and Associate Director of Advancement at University of Michigan Hillel. Through these roles, Nicole discovered her passion for planned giving by helping supporters create meaningful legacies. Nicole holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Syracuse University, with a concentration in Nonprofit Management, and a Certificate in Fundraising Management from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University. She earned her B.A. in Global Gender Studies with a minor in Jewish Thought from the University at Buffalo.

Bobbi Maltz is the Life & Legacy Executive Administrative Assistant, working directly for the National Director and supporting the entire Life & Legacy team. She is responsible for all administrative tasks related to running the program, including helping with the annual conference, email communications, and managing Salesforce. Bobbi proudly served in the U.S. Army for six years which included two deployments to Iraq. Bobbi earned a B.A. in Communication from the University of Connecticut and has many years of experience in retail management and as an executive assistant.