UNE names Abigail Henry to lead corporate and foundation relations
The University of New England recently appointed Abigail Henry, a strategic communications leader with more than 20 years of experience in philanthropy, communications, and nonprofit leadership, as senior director for Corporate and Foundation Relations within the University’s Office of Institutional Advancement.
As senior director for Corporate and Foundation Relations, Henry will lead the development and execution of comprehensive fundraising strategies, focusing on building relationships with foundations, corporations, and government entities to support UNE’s academic and research priorities.
“It is my honor to support UNE’s high-quality educational and workforce development initiatives through meaningful philanthropic outreach and service,” Henry said. “UNE is deeply anchored in Maine, but the work happening here — in health care, planetary health, business, humanities, and the arts — reaches everywhere.
“I am excited to bring more partners into this work, partners who care about building stronger communities and setting up students to make a difference in their communities,” she said.
Henry most recently served as director of advancement at The Landing School of Boatbuilding and Design in Arundel, Maine, where she secured $1 million in philanthropic revenue through major gifts, corporate sponsorships, and foundation grants—marking the first time the institution reached that milestone in its 50-year history. Her efforts included forging high-level partnerships with regional and national marine industry leaders, implementing data-driven strategies to strengthen donor pipelines, and leveraging innovative tools such as AI-enhanced prospect research to optimize fundraising outcomes.
Before her tenure at The Landing School, Henry spent a decade as consulting director at Generation Branding and Communication directing client engagements for nonprofit and educational institutions worldwide. Her work focused on crafting cases for support, developing integrated communications strategies, and advancing capital campaigns.
Earlier in her career, Henry held leadership roles in annual giving at The Juilliard School, where she drove revenue growth and secured partnerships with globally recognized brands.
Henry holds a bachelor’s in public relations from Boston University and a master’s in communications management from Simmons University. She is an active member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals – Northern New England and currently serves on its conference committee. She is also a participant in the Maine Development Foundation’s Institute for Civic Leadership’s Goose Eye Class.