Lauren Rutkin serves as a Strategic Initiatives Manager for Geller and for the past 15 years, as the Director of the Martin and Lauren Geller Family Foundation. With over twenty years of experience, she manages the personal interests of the Geller family in matters of charitable giving, engaging the next generation, board relationships and special projects of importance to the family.
Lauren developed Geller’s philanthropic and community engagement program, GellerCares, an initiative that integrates charitable interests across multiple dimensions including adopting schools in low-income areas, shelters, engaging in environmental programs and more. Additionally, Lauren oversees the C.O.D.I. (Community Outreach for Diversity and Inclusion) Program.
Prior to joining Geller, Lauren started Ventures in Philanthropy, a consulting practice, where she assisted clients in not-for-profit fundraising, the ability to build and analyze fund-raising structures, creation of development plans, staff training in areas of development, building the components of a development office, raising funds and encouraging others to do so.
Lauren was also an Executive Director at the Community Counseling Service Inc., (CCS) a fund-raising consulting firm, where among other projects, she managed and coordinated the day-to-day operations for a $110 million capital campaign within a college environment. Prior to her role at CCS, Lauren held a variety of positions in development for not-for-profit organizations.
Lauren dedicates a substantial amount of her time to the South Mountain Elementary School where she served as the head of fundraising. She also served as fundraising chair for the South Orange Middle School. She is currently on the Board of the Columbia High School Baseball Committee. Lauren is married to a Reform Rabbi, Matthew D. Gewirtz. She is very involved in Congregation B’nai Jeshurun (TBJ), serving on the Religious School Committee and the Development Committee. Lauren developed and implemented curriculum in the areas of Tzedakah and Philanthropy for TBJ and other synagogues.
Lauren received her B.A. degree from the University of Vermont where she majored in English. Lauren resides in Maplewood, NJ with her husband and three children.