Richard Santangelo

As ACNJ’s Fundraising Manager, Richard brings over 20 years of experience in education and nonprofit management. He has a proven track record in fundraising, grant and contract administration, budget and project management, program development, and strategic planning.

Before joining ACNJ, Richard spent nearly a decade at the National Audubon Society as Program Director for the NYC Youth Education Program. He led significant fundraising efforts, increasing program revenue and supporting environmental education for over 2,000 individuals annually. Richard’s grant writing, donor cultivation expertise, and strategic alignment of proposals with funders’ goals ensured grant compliance and strengthened partner relationships. Richard’s fundraising efforts expanded programming to include a Youth Leadership & Career Readiness program for high school students and a paid internship program for emerging professionals.

Richard holds an M.S. in Environmental Education with a concentration in Ecology from the Florida Institute of Technology and a B.A. in Early Childhood Education with a Minor in Sociology from The William Paterson University of New Jersey. He also holds certifications in nonprofit leadership from Baruch College, planned giving from the Philanthropic Planning Group of Greater NY, and proposal writing from The Foundation Center.