Nicole Polite

Nicole Polite, she/her, is our Senior Major Gifts Officer based out of our Cville office. Nicole brings more than 15 years of nonprofit fundraising experience supporting mission-driven organizations working to advance racial, social, and economic justice.

Nicole focuses on building meaningful relationships with donors and aligning their philanthropic interests with LAJC’s work. She is passionate about helping supporters understand the impact of our programs and connecting them to opportunities to make a lasting difference.

Before joining LAJC, Nicole served in senior development roles with organizations focused on civil rights, democracy, civic engagement, youth and families, and community development. Her experience includes serving as Major Gifts Officer at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Development Director at RepresentWomen, and Senior Director of Development at All In Together. Across her career, she has led major gifts work, individual and institutional giving, donor stewardship, fundraising strategy, and advancement operations.

Nicole is especially interested in the intersection of relationship-based fundraising and data. She enjoys learning what motivates donors, translating complex policy and program work into compelling narratives, and using data to strengthen and deepen long-term donor relationships.

A Hampton Roads resident, Nicole earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism with a concentration in public relations from Howard University and her master’s degree in nonprofit management from Trinity Washington University. She is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE).

Outside of work, Nicole enjoys cooking, traveling, scuba diving, reading, and spending time with her family.