Why did you get involved with serving nonprofit organizations?
The idea of “giving back” has been a part of my life from a young age. Growing up, my parents both worked in mission-driven roles—my dad as a teacher and my mom as the editor of a nonprofit magazine—and volunteer work was a frequent part of our day-to-day lives. I earned a degree in secondary education but knew by the time I graduated college that teaching was not my calling. Pursuing a nonprofit career was what made the most alternative sense.
Why did you join Benefactor Group?
Any organization is only as strong as the people who comprise it, and I could tell immediately that the team at Benefactor Group was a good one. Folks here are skilled, talented professionals who also happen to be incredibly generous and supportive.
What inspires you to serve the common good?
I like to think about the capacity every single person has to make lasting impact, on each other, on institutions, and on society as a whole. When those efforts are directed towards something good, and brought together in an effective way, the results can be really powerful. So many of the most important people in my life demonstrate this daily and I strive to live up to those high standards.
We are living in rapidly changing times—which extend to the philanthropic landscape. What gives you hope for the future of philanthropy over the next five years?
The people doing the work! As a recruiter, every day I get to meet new, incredibly smart people who have dedicated their lives to this sector and who bring deep, palpable passion for the missions of their organizations. That’s not going away. Every time we post a new job, applications come in. That’s true for even the hardest and most daunting of roles. People want to do this work and want to see our world made better. That can be a good place to focus one’s thoughts when things become challenging.
What influences how you give, volunteer, or advocate?
A mix of what interests me personally (storytelling via the arts) and social justice.
If you could make a $1 million gift to any organization, where would you direct your contributions and why?
It would be great to support an organization that’s a little scrappy, growing, and has the potential to really level up into a new tier of impact. There are a lot of organizations doing critical, life-saving work that have lost major sources of funding in recent years, so I would probably take that into consideration too.
Where can someone find you when you’re not at work?
Probably seeing a movie or attending a play or musical.
What are you currently reading, or what do you recommend?
I just finished reading The Song of Achilles and really, really loved it. Greek mythology wasn’t particularly interesting to me when I studied it in school, so I was surprised to find myself so enraptured by this take on it. The story was so exciting and vivid, and I got really invested in the romance. It was completely transporting!
