Transformational Strategic Growth Partner · Executive Coach & Advisor · Chief Development Officer for Hire

Zoraya E. Lee-Hamlin is a CEO-level executive and strategic leader with more than 36 years of experience at the intersection of nonprofit fundraising, small-business growth, and integrated marketing.

Since 2003, she has served as Founder and President/CEO of RayZo, Inc., leading a multidisciplinary team of grant writers, digital marketers, web developers, brand designers, and IT consultants, leveraging their expertise to deliver measurable results for nonprofits and small businesses across the NJ/NY metro area and nationwide.

Under Zoraya’s executive leadership, RayZo serves as an outsourced C-suite resource, providing clients with the strategic direction, project management, and implementation capacity of a full in-house team without the overhead. She personally oversees client engagements, manages cross-functional project teams, and ensures that fund development strategy, brand communications, and digital execution are fully aligned, a rare integration that consistently delivers stronger outcomes than any single service provider.

Her track record speaks for itself. Recently, RayZo has secured more than $1.5 million in funding for nonprofit clients with budgets under $1 million (2024), maintains an average 90–95% grant renewal rate for new clients, and typically raises 15% more funding from new sources within 6-12 months of client engagements.  Digitally, her team has built and launched dozens of websites and has provided digital marketing and business development support to organizations ranging from community development organizations and niche nonprofits to Paramount and the NFL Alumni Association.

She has also helped nonprofits establish and raise awareness of their programs through digital marketing. She was the first to set up New Community Corporation’s social media accounts and develop its brand, creating a unified look across digital and print media. New Community Corporation is considered the nation’s largest CDC. More recently, her team built the La Casa de Don Pedro website (2025) and now serves as its grant writer and manages its digital marketing and social media. Zoraya consistently highlights the importance of branding for nonprofits to help engage new partners and sponsors who might otherwise overlook an organization in their community. She established the website and brand for University Hospital Foundation in Newark, NJ.  Zoraya considers establishing a brand presence one of the most critical steps for any organization conducting outreach and awareness campaigns for fundraising, donor development, and customer acquisition.

Zoraya began her career as an MBA intern at the Carter G. Woodson Foundation in 1989 and later served in senior leadership roles, including as CEO, at the Urban League of Essex County. She then joined the National Urban League’s extended cabinet as Director of Technology and Economic Self-Sufficiency Initiatives, where she led a team that secured a $2.7 million Microsoft software grant and a $1.5 million Prudential Foundation renewal, establishing computer training labs for about 100 Urban League affiliates nationwide. She later testified before the League of Women Legislators on Capitol Hill on digital equity policy, representing communities on the wrong side of the digital divide.

Her governance record is equally distinguished. Zoraya served on the Board of La Casa de Don Pedro, New Jersey’s largest LatinX community development corporation, for 27 years, including a decade as Board President. In 2024, she was appointed to the NFL Alumni Association Board of Directors, making her the first woman of color in the organization’s 58-year history. She now chairs its Development and Fundraising Committee, has authored the board’s giving policy, and has established the committee’s formal roles and responsibilities.

Zoraya holds an MBA from Rutgers Business School and a BA in Economics from Rutgers University. She is certified as an MWBE and an SBE. She is deeply committed to serving organizations that work with underserved children and families.

Zoraya is married to Raymond L. Hamlin, Esq., her husband of 36 years. Together they have two children, Asia and Raymond Jr., both proud Rutgers University graduates. Asia also holds a culinary degree, carrying on a family love of good food and community through her catering business The Flavor Spot by AZ.

RayZo Highlights

Grants Management and Fund Development 

  • Consistently high success rates: On average, we achieve a 90–95% grant renewal rate and help nonprofits secure new funding typically within 6-12 months.
  • Impact 100 Jersey Shore and Chick-fil-A Community (2025) Grants: RayZo grant writers secured a highly coveted Impact 100 grant of $114,000 and a $75,000 grant, respectively, resulting in a 25% budget increase for a Monmouth County, NJ, nonprofit supporting at-risk children.
  • Local food bank in Northern NJ: Secured $235,000 in funding from four new sources within four months, supporting leadership transitions and expanding services.
  • Union County, NJ: Assisted in securing a $100,000 renewal grant to expand programs for young fathers.
  • Overall funding achievements: Recently secured more than $1.5 million for nonprofits with budgets under $1 million in one year.

Digital Marketing, Web Development, and Advertising

  • Paramount’s First-Time Initiative: Developed four websites to recruit diverse storytellers, directors, and composers, collaborating with creative, legal, project management, and compliance teams at Paramount (formerly ViacomCBS).
  • Public-sector website transformation: Designed a responsive, user-friendly website for the Passaic County Board of Social Services, improving outreach and service delivery.
  • Support for Healthcare System in Urban Community: Established the University Hospital Foundation’s brand identity, website, and digital fundraising infrastructure from the ground up, enabling donor engagement and fundraising at scale. Also, building on three years of design support for the Community Affairs Department, RayZo is now the official Marketing and Communications partner for the entire University Hospital marketing & communications department, supporting clinical departments, physician communications, and community outreach across the organization.
  • 2024-2025 website rebranding initiative: Built seven websites with advanced metrics and analytics to improve user engagement, data collection, and service visibility.

Capacity Building and Organizational Strategy

  • Consultant for Victoria Foundation grantees: Served as a fund development coach, developing tailored plans and securing $250,000 in new funding within 12 months.
  • PARTNER NJ: Serving as PARTNER NJ’s full fund development and marketing partner, leading a comprehensive rebrand including a new logo, website, and social media presence to establish their digital identity from the ground up. RayZo provides end-to-end fundraising support spanning grant writing, corporate partnership development, and sponsorship strategy, positioning this community development organization as a compelling investment opportunity for private-sector partners in Perth Amboy’s Gateway Neighborhood.
  • Union County Fatherhood Initiative Coalition: Delivered program development, branding solutions, and IT strategies to engage young fathers and designed a new website to expand their services.

Business IT Solutions and Consulting

  • NFL Alumni digital transformation: Built a national membership portal and 40 local chapter websites, integrating cloud services, CRM systems, social media, and email marketing solutions to enhance member engagement and streamline operations. Zoraya is now a member of their Board of Directors.
  • Local supermarket success: Provided digital marketing, advertising, and social media management for a family-owned supermarket chain, driving consistent sales growth and strengthening community ties.

Zoraya’s work across grants management, digital innovation, and capacity-building exemplifies her commitment to achieving measurable impact. Her collaborations with a dedicated team of grant writers, marketers, and IT consultants continue transforming nonprofits and businesses, equipping them for sustainable success.

Early Career: Carter G. Woodson Foundation, Urban League of Essex County and National Urban League

Zoraya began her nonprofit management career as an MBA intern at the Carter G. Woodson Foundation in the late 1980s. After earning her MBA from Rutgers Business School, she joined the Urban League of Essex County in 1993 as Director of Marketing and Fundraising. She laid the foundation for the affiliate’s marketing and fundraising efforts, elevating the Urban League’s profile within the community.

  • Community engagement: Redesigned the membership program to connect small businesses and Urban League members, volunteers, and the Guild, fostering stronger ties within the community.
  • Volunteer engagement: Established a national program, locally, the Urban League Young Professionals, to recruit and involve volunteers in the organization’s mission.
  • Technology transformation: Later, as director of Technology and Economic Self-Sufficiency Initiatives and a member of the National Urban League’s extended Cabinet, Zoraya and her department staff secured a $2.7 million software grant from Microsoft and a $1.5 million renewal grant from the Prudential Foundation. These initiatives significantly enhanced the technological capacity of 100 Urban League affiliates nationwide, establishing over 70 computer training labs and equipping affiliates with Microsoft software for comprehensive workforce development training programs.
  • Advocate for Digital Inclusion: Delivered testimony on Capitol Hill to the Foundation for Women Legislators, providing policy recommendations to address the Digital Divide. Her insights focused on creating equitable access to technology and resources, emphasizing strategies to bridge the gap for underserved communities.

Personal Background Zoraya began her career as an intern at The Carter G. Woodson Foundation in 1989 while earning her MBA at Rutgers Business School, where she discovered her passion for nonprofit management. Since then, she has dedicated her career to increasing organizational productivity and helping nonprofits serve marginalized families.

In her personal life, Zoraya enjoys golf, boating, and traveling. She has two adult children: Ray, Jr., a marketing manager with RayZo, and Asia, the founder of The Flavor Spot by AZ.

Early Career: Carter G. Woodson Foundation, Urban League of Essex County and National Urban League

Zoraya began her nonprofit management career as an MBA intern at the Carter G. Woodson Foundation in the late 1980s. After earning her MBA from Rutgers Business School, she started with the Urban League of Essex County in 1993 as Director of Marketing and fundraising. She laid the foundation for the affiliate’s marketing and fundraising efforts, elevating the Urban League’s profile within the community.

  • Community engagement: Redesigned the membership program to connect small businesses and Urban League members, volunteers, and the Guild, fostering stronger ties within the community.
  • Volunteer engagement: Established a national program, locally, the Urban League Young Professionals, to recruit and involve volunteers in the organization’s mission.
  • Technology transformation: Later, as director of Technology and Economic Self-Sufficiency Initiatives and a member of the National Urban League’s extended Cabinet, Zoraya and her team led the win of a $2.7 million software grant from Microsoft and a $1.5 million renewal grant from the Prudential Foundation. These initiatives significantly enhanced the technological capacity of 100 Urban League affiliates nationwide, establishing over 70 computer training labs and equipping affiliates with Microsoft software for comprehensive training programs.
  • Advocate for Digital Inclusion: Delivered testimony on Capitol Hill to the Foundation for Women Legislators, providing policy recommendations to address the Digital Divide. Her insights focused on creating equitable access to technology and resources, emphasizing strategies to bridge the gap for underserved communities.

MOTIVATIONS

Zoraya is deeply passionate about supporting organizations that serve underserved and marginalized children and families. With an extensive background in marketing and fund development in inner-city communities, she is widely recognized for her cultural sensitivity and exceptional ability to connect with and engage diverse audiences. That commitment extends well beyond the NJ/NY metro area. RayZo has supported organizations serving communities from Newark to Haiti, helping build everything from food security programs to clean water initiatives.

FUN FACT

Before RayZo was a company, it was a party. Zoraya and her husband Raymond (aka Ray) have long been known for hosting gatherings and trips called the RayZo Rendezvous and the RayZo SuperBo’ parties, and when it came time to name her firm in 2003, the choice was easy. RayZo is 100% owned by Zoraya (aka Zo), and the name has always carried the same spirit it started with: bringing people together around a shared purpose.