Philanthropy Leads: 2020 IPA Conference & 30th Anniversary Celebration

Jaser is the program manager overseeing content and peer learning for Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO). He supports planning, development, and refinement for the continued expansion of GEO’s content and peer learning opportunities. Jaser comes to GEO after working at Philanthropy Colorado, a regional association dedicated to serving, convening, and managing funder peer cohorts. Before working for Philanthropy Colorado, Jaser completed a one-year Fulbright Program Fellowship in Rubavu, Rwanda, where he coordinated with the U.S. Embassy to conduct weekly programs and research at the American Corner, a resource center that aims to increase understanding between Rwanda and the United states. Prior to working in Rwanda, he participated in the Duke University India Summer School for Future International Development Leaders. This field research position in Udaipur, India, allowed him to analyze and propose creative, locally-sourced approaches to rural development. Jaser received a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of Denver’s Josef Korbel School of International Studies and graduated from the University of Denver, where he was a Boettcher Scholar majoring in International Studies and Political Science. 

Carrie is president of the Durfee Foundation in Los Angeles, California, which focuses on leadership by providing fellowships, grants to new organizations, and sabbaticals to long-time nonprofit leaders. Prior to working for the Durfee Foundation, Carrie practiced law, first with the National Women’s Law Center in Washington, D.C., and later with a private firm in San Francisco. Carrie received her BA from Stanford University, her JD from the University of California at Berkeley, and was a Georgetown University Women’s Law and Public Policy Fellow. She serves on the boards of Grantmakers for Effective Organizations and the Berkeley Repertory Theater, in addition to serving on the Steering Committee of the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project. She also served as board chair of both the National Center for Family Philanthropy and the Northern California Grantmakers, where she founded the Family Philanthropy Exchange. Furthermore, Carrie served as co-chair of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Nicole is a vice president and philanthropic strategist with Bank of America’s Philanthropic Solutions. She has worked with the bank’s philanthropic clients nationally since 2014. She provides guidance to nonprofit board members and leaders to help advance their missions with impact and sustainability. Her areas of focus include strategic planning, marketing and communications, development and donor cultivation, organizational change management, and governance best practices. She serves as a key voice in her team’s thought leadership on essential topics and emerging trends in philanthropy. Nicole holds a dual BA in English from San Diego State University and has completed a custom interdisciplinary honors curriculum exploring the psychology of written and visual communications. A Hawai’i native and active volunteer since childhood, she is a passionate believer in the nonprofit sector’s ability to foster meaningful social evolution.

David Biemesderfer is a President and CEO of United Philanthropy Forum, a role he began in January 2016. Since starting at the Forum, David has led the organization through a period of notable growth and transformation. He was named to the "2018 NPT Power & Influence Top 50" list by The NonProfit Times.

David is a seasoned executive with more than 25 years of experience in the philanthropic sector and deep expertise in communications, public policy, research and association management. Prior to his role at the Forum, David served as President and CEO of Florida Philanthropic Network (FPN), a statewide network of philanthropic organizations working to strengthen and grow philanthropy in Florida. He joined FPN in 2009 as Vice President and served as FPN’s President & CEO starting in June 2010. Under David’s leadership, FPN’s membership grew sevenfold, its budget grew fourfold and its statewide presence increased significantly. He served on the Forum’s Board of Directors for six years.

David’s past experience also includes working for 10 years at the Minnesota Council on Foundations (MCF). He left MCF in 2004 as its Vice President of Communications and Information Services. David has also served as a consultant for a variety of foundations and other philanthropic clients in the areas of communications, public policy and accountability.

David has a bachelor’s degree in communications from Gustavus Adolphus College and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Minnesota.

Jennifer Danic has provided nonprofit knowledge and leadership in her role as President and CEO of SCCF since 2011, but she has been part of the community for far longer. She was raised in the area and graduated from Angola High School.

While studying French and Business Administration at Hillsdale College, Jennifer found herself running a campus and community organization in her spare time. Through the encouragement of a mentor, she decided to pursue her passion for nonprofit work and attended the Center on Philanthropy (now Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy) for her Master of Arts degree in Philanthropic Studies. During her time in Indianapolis, Jennifer earned her CFRE (Certified Fund Raising Executive), Nonprofit Management Certificate, and Certificate in Fundraising Management. After spending a few years at the Goodwill Industries Foundation, Jennifer transitioned to her role at SCCF when their family moved back to Angola.

A Michigan native, Jud Fisher is a graduate of DePauw University and the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. He joined Ball Brothers Foundation in 2003 after working for Old National Bancorp. In addition to his duties as president and chief operating officer of BBF, he serves on the boards of several regional and statewide organizations including the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital, Edmund F. & Virginia B. Ball Foundation, Indiana Trust Wealth Management, Muncie Aviation Company, First Merchants Corporation, Owl Academic & Athletic Boosters, and the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy Board of Visitors. He is the great-grandson of Ball Brothers Foundation founder Edmund B. Ball. As president and chief operating officer, Jud leads a dedicated board and staff in carrying out the mission of the Ball Brothers Foundation.

Jason serves as the W.K. Kellogg Community Philanthropy Chair at the Johnson Center for Philanthropy, the nation’s first endowed chair focused on community philanthropy. Additionally, he is President of Ktisis Capital Advisors through which he serves as a strategic advisor to a mix of progressive individual donors, families, foundations, and philanthropic collaboratives. He serves as board chair of the Proteus Fund; co-founder and chair of the Solidaire Donor Network; and on the boards of both the Threshold Foundation and Michigan Civic Education Fund. He is also an advisory board member of Our LGBT Fund at the Grand Rapids Community Foundation and a member of Threshold’s High Impact Documentary Funding Circle, the West Michigan Progressive PAC, and WINGS: Worldwide Initiatives for Grantmaker Support. Prior to his appointment as the Kellogg Chair, he served as executive director of Bolder Giving, an organization that inspired people to give big and take more risks with their philanthropy, and he was credited by Melinda Gates as an inspiration for the billionaire Giving Pledge. He received his PhD in Public Administration from New York University’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, where he also held an appointment for ten years as an award-winning adjunct professor teaching about philanthropy and social change.  

Travis is vice president and solutions consultant of LOCUS, where he assists place-rooted foundations and organizations in implementing regional community economic development strategies to help people and places prosper. He authored a series of practitioner guides on value chain economic development focused on wealth-building for low income households. He also coordinated Rooting Opportunity, a national conference on emerging economic development practice. Previously, Travis served as program manager at the Aspen Institute in Washington, D.C., focused on regional community economic development and community development philanthropy. He was part of the team that organized and facilitated the Rural Economic Development Philanthropy Innovators Network. Travis also served as a research assistant for Building Integrated Communities, an effort by leaders in Durham, North Carolina, to make their community more welcoming to foreign-born residents. Travis is a graduate of Haverford College and has an MS degree in City and Regional Planning from University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill.

Carly Hare (Pawnee/Yankton) strives to live a commitment to advancing equity and community engagement through her professional and personal life. Carly serves as the Coalition Catalyst/National Director of CHANGE Philanthropy. Carly lead Native Americans in Philanthropy as its Executive Director from 2010-2015 after five years of membership, and serving on the NAP Board of Directors. Carly held the position of the Director of Development for the Native American Rights Fund from 2009-2010. She served as Director of Programs for The Community Foundation Serving Boulder County for five years.

Carly is currently the Board of Trustees Chair of the Common Counsel Foundation and Treasurer of the Highlander Research and Education Center Board of Directors. Carly has served on planning committees and presented at over 30 conferences at the intersection of equity and philanthropy. She is a proud daughter, sister, auntie, ally, friend and equity advocate. Carly’s Pawnee name is <i kita u hoo <i ]a hiks which translates into kind leader of men.

Nichole is a director of programs at GEO. She joined GEO’s program team in 2015, supporting content planning and development for GEO conferences, remote learning opportunities, publications, and other programming. Before joining GEO, she worked at the Center for American Progress on their K-12 Education Policy team conducting research and writing about the implementation of the Common Core standards. Prior to this, Nichole taught middle and high school social studies at Ivy Collegiate Academy, an international boarding school in Taichung City, Taiwan, where she also served as the dean of students and the social studies department chair. Nichole earned her MS in public policy and management from Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College and her BA in history and education from Clarke University.

Danielle Holly is dedicated to creating previously unseen pathways for individuals to meaningfully contribute to making their communities thrive. Danielle is the CEO of Common Impact, an organization that brings companies and social impact organizations together to create meaningful change through skilled volunteerism. Recently recognized in BuzzFeed for one of the "30 Big Ideas that Can Change the World,” Danielle has led the social sector movement to channel individual talents as a force for good. For the past 13 years, she has helped Fortune 100 companies shape their community engagement and investment programs, supported nonprofits in effectively leveraging service for strategic ends and built the industry-leading tools that enable companies and nonprofits to work together effectively. In addition, she hosts Pro Bono Perspectives, a popular podcast now in its second season that highlights the careers of cross-sector leaders.
 
Danielle is a contributing writer for Nonprofit Quarterly and has been featured in Stanford Social Innovation Review. She is a member of the NationSwell Council, Chief, and serves on the Board of Directors for Women in Innovation and Fan4Kids.  

Former Indianapolis Colts Player/Super Bowl XLI Champ | Marlin is a graduate of the University of Michigan, he’s a social entrepreneur and a life-long-learner that sees every experience and encounter as an opportunity for learning. As a former collegiate and professional athlete, Marlin was groomed and developed within a structured, organized, and challenging environment. This experience of learning, in the classroom and in the arena of collegiate and professional football, caused Marlin to develop a unique perspective and skill set that is embedded in structure, organization, time-management, leadership, creativity, and passion. An extremely motivated leader, he is detail oriented, able to multitask well, and possesses excellent communication skills. Over the years, Marlin has proven himself to be a goal-oriented, disciplined, and driven person who can do whatever is needed to help himself and others succeed. He has displayed these qualities throughout his life as a captain on the University of Michigan football team, in the National Football League with the Indianapolis Colts and Philadelphia Eagles, as a sports analyst and sports radio show co-host, and now, as President of Fight for Life Foundation, Revive Investments, Revive Property Group, MarlinJ28, and Prepare to Succeed. In 2012, Marlin married his beautiful wife, Mrs. Nikki Jackson, they now have three smart, handsome, loving boys, Camden, Kingston, and Kash Jackson. Mr. Jackson is extremely passionate about his faith, family, and occupational purposes in life.   

William is a managing director, market strategy and delivery with Bank of America Private Bank based in New York. Experienced with investment policy and governance for endowed nonprofit organizations, he is responsible for strategic thought leadership with institutional and private philanthropic clients. Bill is a financial services executive and attorney who brings 35 years of experience to this role. He joined Bank of America Private Bank (formerly U.S. Trust) in 2017 from Commonfund. As the executive director of the Commonfund Institute, he led that firm’s educational, research, and professional development activities, serving as Commonfund Institute’s head of research for over ten years. During the course of his career, he has also worked at J.P. Morgan, Greenwich Associates, and Davis Polk & Wardwell. Bill holds a BA in English Literature from Yale University, a JD from the Northwestern University School of Law, and an MBA from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management. Bill does not provide legal advice in his role at Bank of America Private Bank.  

As a senior research fellow, Dr. Rob Kadel brings more than 20 years of experience in educational research to Strada Institute for the Future of Work. His work focuses on innovative teaching and learning models that will help learners of all ages acquire the skills necessary for successful transitions to work.

Kadel has held research and faculty positions at the University of Colorado Denver, Penn State, Johns Hopkins, and most recently with Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities. He also ran his own educational research consulting firm from 2003 to 2010 before joining the Pearson Research & Innovation Network. He co-edited the 2019 volume, Blended Learning in Practice: A Guide for Practitioners and Researchers (MIT Press).

Kadel earned a B.A. in economics from Eckerd College and an M.A. and Ph.D. in sociology from Emory University in Atlanta.

Professor Kennedy joined the O’Neill School at IUPUI in August 1998 as an assistant professor of law and public policy. Before coming to IUPUI, Kennedy had several careers: she practiced real estate, administrative and business law in Indianapolis, served as the city’s Corporation Counsel, and in 1980, was the Republican candidate for Indiana’s then 11th Congressional District seat. Kennedy was President of Kennedy Development Services, a real estate development company, from 1987-1992, when she became Executive Director of the Indiana Civil Liberties Union (the Indiana affiliate of the ACLU), a position she held until she joined the SPEA faculty.

Zac has an LL.M. (Masters of Law) concentrating on the special needs of tax-exempt organizations and has practiced law primarily for charities, focusing on organizational and compliance services. He earned a CFRM (Certificate in Fundraising Management) from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, and has been named a Practitioner-in-Residence at the IU Maurer School of Law in Bloomington.

Zac provides legal council for Indiana Philanthropy Alliance's Foundation Legal Help Desk. He speaks and publishes regularly regarding the unique needs of charities. Topics include identifying effective outcome measures, governance, board liability, human resources for small nonprofits and property tax exemption issues, among many others. Zac is a member of the board of directors for Indiana Philanthropy Alliance.

Transform Consulting Group is a woman-owned, strategic and data-driven consulting firm based in Indiana with a team located across the state.  We provide solutions that enable our clients to facilitate, build, and mobilize.

We have worked with community foundations and other foundations to support their community leadership and program impact goals. Most of our recent work with foundations has focused on implementing a collective impact model to help community foundations transition into a community leader/ convener role. Many of the issues that foundations are wanting to address are bigger than what they or one of their grantees can do on their own. The collective impact framework helps organizations and communities tackle the big issues.
 
We’ve also worked with foundations and other non-profit organizations to use their data to accelerate their impact. We are passionate about helping organizations collect meaningful data and use it to improve outcomes. 60% of non-profit professionals report that they don’t use data to make decisions. We help organizations learn how to use their data to improve outcomes and develop a systematic approach to acquire data or manage projects.

Deborah, senior vice president of LOCUS, has over 35 years of experience working in community economic development and community philanthropy as both a faculty member and practitioner. As senior vice president, she helps to manage LOCUS consulting services for place-focused philanthropic institutions. Together with the Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group, she is working to advance the practice of economic development philanthropy among place-focused foundations. She was lead author on a 2016 article for The Foundation Review entitled: “A New Domain for Place-Rooted Foundations: Economic Development Philanthropy.” In 2017-2018, she helped to lead a national peer learning cohort of community foundations exploring economic development philanthropy, and she has lead a peer learning cohort of Kansas community foundations working to explore, unlock, and deploy local impact investments in their communities. Deb has BS and MS degrees from Cornell University and a PhD from Virginia Tech.

Jeff Moore currently serves as chief strategy officer with Independent Sector, supporting the organization’s critical strategic visioning efforts as it guides the sector to meet the future needs of democratic society. He is a senior leader with broad experience in the nonprofit field, government, and industry. He most recently served in an executive role in the health-systems research field.

Jeff has served as a senior advisor to the Secretary of Defense and as legislative director to Congressman Thomas J. Downey (NY). In each of his positions, he has built critical partnerships and alliances that have accelerated organizational and mission success. His leadership style—he was described by one of his former board members as being “the weaver of the cloth”—and career experiences create a unique foundation for advancing critical thinking, strategic development, and organizational performance.

Jeff considers his Distinguished Civilian Service Award, presented in 1998 by Secretary of Defense William Cohen, to be among his greatest career achievements. Cohen honored Moore at the end of his tenure in the Clinton administration for his contributions to the nation’s security and his unique ability to build bridges between U.S. government agencies, the U.S. private sector, and foreign governments.

Joel is a senior financial advisor at Merrill, based in Chicago. He provides investment consulting services to institutions and select families. His area of focus includes sustainable impact investing strategies where he facilitates client education, thought leadership, and portfolio implementation. Joel was appointed as one of 12 national financial advisors to the Merrill Impact Investing Advisory Council. He joined Merrill in 2015 after 12 years with Morgan Stanley. His experience includes assisting clients with investment and spending policies, asset allocation, manager research, donor development, and overall relationship management. Joel holds a BS from Rockford University, and he serves on the Rockford University board of trustees and committees for investment and development. Joel also serves as a board member with National Veterans Art Museum. He has volunteered on various committees with Forefront Illinois, Indiana Philanthropy Alliance, Council of Michigan Foundations, and the Sustainable Local Food Investment Group (SLoFIG). 

Laurie Paarlberg holds the Charles Stewart Mott Chair on Community Foundations at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and is an affiliate faculty in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs (IUPUI). Her nonprofit research focuses on the changing nature of community philanthropy, with a particular focus on strategic shifts in grant making by local United Ways and community foundations. With changing demographics in local communities, she is also interested in issues of equity and diversity in grant making and the rural/urban divide.

Dr. Paarlberg’s publications include numerous articles in refereed journals, including Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Voluntas, Voluntary Sector Review, Public Administration Review, International Public Management Journal, and American Review of Public Administration. Dr. Paarlberg’s research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the Corporation for National and Community Service, and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.

She has received the Best Paper Award for Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, the Best Conference Paper at the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA) Conference, and the Accenture Advances in Public Management Award, Accenture Corporation, for Best Paper in International Public Management Journal.

Before coming to the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, she was an associate professor in the Bush School of Government and Public Service (Texas A&M University) and held the Robert H. and Judy L. Allen Professorship.

Davis Parchment has long worked to support a social sector driven by better data, research, and analysis. In her previous role as Foundation Center’s manager of knowledge services, she established and led the Get on the Map Campaign, a national philanthropy data improvement effort. She has also managed Foundation Center’s Electronic Reporting Program; designed and delivered training programs to nonprofits; and worked in nonprofit fundraising, management, education, and international development.

Alison Powell joined Bridgespan in 2006 and is currently senior director for philanthropy. In that role she leads and advises on projects for philanthropy clients, and manages much of Bridgespan’s philanthropy research, including our multi-year initiative focused on Big Bets for Social Change.

During the last seven years, Alison has led a number of projects with influential philanthropies, supporting their strategies and strategic implementation. Prior to focusing on philanthropy, she spent four years in Bridgespan’s strategy consulting practice working with direct-service clients, including a charter management organization and an organization focused on transitional support for people aging out of foster care.

Before joining Bridgespan, Alison worked for Mattel to ideate, develop, and launch toy product lines. She started her career at The Parthenon Group, a management consultancy where she worked on a host of strategic engagements, from motorcycle manufacturing to publishing.

Alison graduated cum laude with an AB degree in Politics from Princeton University and received her MBA from Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. Alison writes and speaks on philanthropic issues, including co-authoring Making Big Bets for Social Change, What Ambitious Philanthropists Can Learn From The Atlantic Philanthropies’ Experience Making Big Bets, and Philanthropy in the New Age of Government Austerity.

Melissa is programs and knowledge director at PEAK Grantmaking. She leads PEAK’s work to identify effective, efficient, and equitable philanthropic practices and advocates for their adoption by grantmakers. Prior to joining PEAK, Melissa was the education and accreditation director at Maryland Nonprofits and the Standards for Excellence Institute, where she oversaw nonprofit accreditation and the association’s learning community. Melissa is currently a board member at the Maryland Center for Economic Policy, and she serves on the advisory board for the Business and Economic Department at the Notre Dame of Maryland University. She also serves on the Funder’s Planning Committee for the Frederick County Nonprofit Summit. Melissa has served on committees for United Philanthropy Forum, Independent Sector, the Association of Baltimore Area Grantmakers, the Frederick Giving Project, and other nonprofits in her local community. She received her MPA from the University of Baltimore and her BA from Hood College. 

Teleange′ was named director of Foundation Center Midwest, January 2016. She provides leadership for deepening the organization’s impact in thirteen Midwestern states, while enhancing the organization’s value proposition to the Cleveland community.

Teleange′ has 14-plus years of professional experience in the fields of healthcare, public health, human services, and philanthropy. Prior to joining Foundation Center, she served for seven years as a program director with the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland, overseeing strategies to reduce health disparities among vulnerable populations through strategic grantmaking, systems and policy change.

Teleange′ earned a bachelor’s of business management and entrepreneurial studies from Case Western Reserve University. She is a member of the boards of directors for Health Policy Institute of Ohio, Green City Growers, and the Conservancy of Cuyahoga Valley National Park; a fellow of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; and is published in professional and academic journals.

With a background in organizational strategy and execution, Maureen has spent her career working across multiple sectors – with an emphasis on human capital development and education – to improve the way that organizations meet the needs of the individuals they serve. Maureen is the president and CEO of Early Learning Indiana (ELI), which operates a network of premiere community lab schools used to advance the science of early learning, train the next generation of teachers and leaders and instill essential skills in the nearly 900 young children it serves each day. As a leading voice for the future of early learning, ELI serves as an expert partner to other providers of early care and education, assisting providers statewide in their efforts to build capacity, transform operations and improve learning outcomes. Prior to joining ELI in March 2018, Weber served as senior vice president and chief strategy officer at Project Lead The Way, a nonprofit that provides transformative STEM education experiences to K-12 students and teachers across the country. She has also worked as the inaugural vice president of customer experience at Indiana University Health, leading an effort to optimize the patient experience across all channels and settings of care. Prior to joining IU Health, Weber served in a number of public service roles, including as chief operating officer for the Indiana Department of Education and deputy commissioner for the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, after practicing law at Barnes & Thornburg LLP. Weber earned a JD from Georgetown University Law Center and a BS from Georgetown University School of Foreign Service. She chairs the board of Purdue Polytechnic High School and is an advisory board member of Indiana’s Nurse Family Partnership program. She was appointed by Governor Mitch Daniels to chair the Indiana Charter School Board and has served on a variety of other boards and commissions in Central Indiana.