Jessica Brice
Program Director, Gift Planning
Department of Development
About Jessica
I am currently a Program Director in the Office of Gift Planning, and started at Notre Dame in 2019. I work with benefactors and regional fundraisers along the East Coast to develop strategies for deferred and structured contributions to Notre Dame, including estate and trust gifts, gifts of real estate, and gifts of privately held business interests. As a CPA/self-described tax nerd and total people person, this role is perfect for me. I get to meet amazing members of the Notre Dame family and assist them in structuring gifts to save taxes!
Favorite Book
I love to read, so it's hard to specifically point to one book as my all-time favorite. If I had to pick, I would go with "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn", by Betty Smith. Growing up and reading it, I really identified with the main character and her outlook on life, even as she faced many different struggles. A favorite quote, near the end of the book, captures this perfectly:
“Look at everything always as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time: Thus is your time on earth filled with glory.”
Who inspires you?
My mother is my greatest inspiration. She was very young when she had my brother and me. The two of us were among the first to graduate from college in our entire extended family. While we did not grow up with much, the importance of higher education was never in question. She was committed to it, and it would not have been possible for us without financial aid and scholarships. I am so incredibly grateful to be a part of the Development team where I get to work with generous individuals that want to provide those same opportunities to others.