Sandra Bradford-Jennings plays a leadership role in the strategy and implementation of fundraising campaigns and events, grant writing and proposal management, and branding and marketing communications. She has been with CPA since 2012.

Sandra has over 30 years of nonprofit fundraising and communications experience. This includes expertise in evolving department operations and infrastructure to support a robust and successful fundraising program.

Before joining CPA, Sandra was President and owner of the Crystal Pen Group, a grant writing and communications firm she founded in 2009. She also served as Director of Development Communications and Foundation Relations for The Danbury Hospital Development Fund (now part of Nuvance Health). Sandra was also Director of Development and Communications for Family ReEntry, a community-based criminal justice organization, for five and a half years.

This is Sandra’s second career. Her first career was in healthcare marketing and communications, where she worked at the local, regional and national levels. During this time, she held staff and leadership positions with companies and organizations in New York, Washington DC, Maryland, and California, including Ernst & Young and Sutter Health.

Sandra holds a bachelor’s degree in Zoology from Howard University and a Master's in Hospital Administration from the Medical College of Virginia. In addition, she is certified in Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge Fundamentals (bCRE).

Sandra is a presenter for the 2022 BiPOC Cohort for Nonprofit Leadership, a program of the Community Foundation of Greater New Haven. From 2010 to 2018, she served on the Board of Directors and event planning committee for the Newtown Earth Day Festival and scholarship fundraiser. Sandra is also a past board member for Danbury Children First and the Fairfield County Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. In 2007 and 2008, Sandra chaired the Communications committee for CT National Philanthropy Day.

Sandra is married and has one adult daughter. She loves dogs and sports and is a long-time doll collector. Her passion is for rare and hard-to-find vintage black dolls and dolls representing African American historical figures.