Our Board

Daranee Petsod has led Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR) since 1999 and has worked on immigration and social and economic justice issues since 1987. As president of GCIR, she develops and leads new areas of work, in addition to providing programmatic, fiscal, and administrative oversight. Prior to joining GCIR, Daranee was a program and communications consultant for foundations and nonprofits. She previously held leadership positions at the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights and was a program officer at the Field Foundation of Illinois, Inc. and the Sophia Fund, one of the first women’s funds in the United States. She has served on the boards of the Donors Forum and the Heartland Alliance, both in Chicago, the Asian Americans Advancing Justice in Washington, DC. Daranee has authored and co-authored numerous research reports on a range of immigration issues, as well as opinion pieces on the role of philanthropy in supporting immigration and immigrant integration issues. Daranee earned an M.A. in social policy from the University of Chicago and is a recipient of the 2014 Professional Development Fellowship from the Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation.

Ellen LaPointe is the president and chief executive officer of Northern California Grantmakers, a nonprofit organization that leverages the power of association and community to advance the collective interests of its members and catalyze the impact of philanthropy in Northern California. Ellen has held executive and senior management positions in the nonprofit sector for over 20 years. She has also provided strategic guidance and executive management consultation to philanthropic, nonprofit, and social enterprise clients seeking to develop impact strategies, establish strategic partnerships, elevate their visibility, and secure resources. Ellen has expertise in organizational leadership, strategy development and implementation, partnership cultivation, fund development, communications, financial management, and program oversight.

Amanda Andere has spent over 15 years working in the nonprofit and public sector as a leader committed to addressing social justice, economic opportunity, and security through advocacy for systemic change. Prior to joining Funders Together to End Homelessness as their CEO, she served as the CEO of Wider Opportunities for Women, a national advocacy organization. Currently, she serves as a board member of the United Philanthropy Forum and the James Madison Political Science Alumni Board, as well as on the steering committing for The Campaign for Housing and Community Development Funding. Previously she served as an adjunct professor at George Mason University teaching Nonprofit Management, Executive Director of FACETS and Vice President of Cornerstones; who have similar missions of preventing and ending homelessness as well as breaking the cycle of poverty.

Karen Freeman is chief operating officer and is responsible for financial management, human resources, legal, facility, IT, Board of Directors and government relations for Southern California Grantmakers (SCG). In addition, Karen serves as the Chief Administrative Officer for Philanthropy California, a joint initiative between Southern California Grantmakers, San Diego Grantmakers and Northern California Grantmakers. Karen has over 30 years of experience in the nonprofit and government sector, beginning her career as an aide to U.S. Senator Howard Metzenbaum (Ohio). Freeman graduated from Saginaw Valley State University with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and from the University of Toledo with a master’s degree in public administration, and is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources.

Susan Taylor Batten joined ABFE as president and CEO in January 2009. Prior to joining ABFE, Susan was senior associate with the Annie E. Casey Foundation. She has more than 20 years of experience in directing, evaluating and advising both public and foundation-related efforts to improve outcomes for children, youth and families. Susan is a member of the inaugural Class (2005-2006) of ABFE Connecting Leaders Fellows, a program designed to foster the career development of emerging leaders in the field of philanthropy. She is a member of Hispanics in Philanthropy, serves as an Advisory Board Member to the Diversity in Philanthropy Project, Co-Chair’s the Steering Committee for The Partnership for Prince George’s County, Maryland. Susan is a proud graduate of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Political Science from Fisk University and her Masters of Social Work degree from Howard University in Washington, DC.

Leslie Boissiere is vice president of external affairs for the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Boissiere oversees the organization’s KIDS COUNT effort, as well as the areas of policy reform and advocacy, strategic communications, leadership development, equity and inclusion, organizational effectiveness and national partnerships. Leslie’s career path includes more than 15 years of results-driven executive experience in both the public and private sectors. She has also served as executive director for the White House Council for Community Solutions, where she led efforts to develop cross-sector, community-based strategies to address the needs of disconnected youth. Leslie holds a master’s degree in business administration from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of New Orleans.

Ret Boney joined the North Carolina Network of Grantmakers as executive director in May 2013. For eight years prior to this appointment, Ret covered the charitable world throughout North Carolina and the United States as deputy editor for the Philanthropy Journal, uncovering, dissecting and explaining issues and trends that impact nonprofit staff, boards and supporters. Prior to her move to the nonprofit sector, Ret managed the electric utilities group of KnowledgeBase Marketing and was a director in the loyalty-marketing division of Young & Rubicam. She also served as deputy policy director for Gov. Jim Hunt and was a reporter and columnist for Fortune Magazine. She previously served as board chair of Planned Parenthood Health Systems and was a founding board member of Wee Care Children's Enrichment Program, a nonprofit preschool serving low-income children. Ret served on United Philanthropy Forum’s Vision Design Group for Year 2. She received her undergraduate degree from UNC-Chapel Hill and earned a master's degree in business administration from Kenan-Flagler Business School at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Andreason Brown is chief financial officer and treasurer at the Spencer Foundation, which supports high-quality investigation of education through its research programs. His work at the foundation focuses on overseeing finance and accounting operations and ensuring strategic budgeting supports and drives the programmatic work of the foundation. He most recently served as chief operating officer at Forefront, a statewide association of foundations and nonprofits in Illinois. Andreason serves on several local and national boards in support of the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. He is Chair of the African American Legacy Fund at Chicago Community Trust and is an appointed board member of the Illinois State Treasurer's Charitable Trust Stabilization Fund. A frequent speaker on topics including sustainability, budgeting, strategic planning, and organizational development, Andreason earned a BS in Economics from Central Michigan University and MS in Nonprofit Management from DePaul University.

Ronna Brown is president of Philanthropy New York. Under her leadership since 2007, Philanthropy New York’s membership has grown and its mandate expanded. It is an important connector in fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing among its approximately 285 member organizations and a presenter of programs, services and resources that foundations rely upon. It is also a key voice in informing and advancing public policies that support effective philanthropy and a productive nonprofit sector in the region. Prior to joining Philanthropy New York, Ronna served for nine years as the president and CEO of the BBB of Metropolitan New York and its foundation. Before her service in the Better Business Bureau system, Ronna was the Deputy Bureau Chief of the Consumer Frauds and Protection Bureau of the New York State Attorney General’s office. She currently serves on the nonprofit boards of the Center for Disaster Philanthropy and FJC, a foundation of philanthropic funds.

Kristen Cambell is executive director of Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE) and leads its mission to inspire interest, understanding, and investment in civic engagement within philanthropy and to be a voice for philanthropy in larger conversations taking place in the fields of civic engagement, service and democratic practice. Previously, Kristen ran her own consulting practice focused on civic engagement, education, and leadership. She served the National Conference on Citizenship as its chief program officer, and has held philanthropic roles at the Case Foundation and Points of Light. Kristen is an AmeriCorps Alum and serves on the Alumni Council of The Fund for American Studies, and on the advisory board for groups such as the Annenberg Presidential Learning Center and the Sustained Dialogue Institute. Kristen is currently serving on United Philanthropy Forum’s 2018 Annual Conference Planning Committee, and served on a small planning group for the Forum’s 2017 CEO Summit.

Paul D. Daugherty serves as president and CEO of Philanthropy West Virginia, which is the professional leadership organization for philanthropy including the trustees, board members, CEOs, program staff and professional advisors for private, family, corporate, community, and public foundations, giving programs, and companies in the Mountain State. Paul has been recognized for his professional and civic leadership impact with the 2014 West Virginia Wesleyan College Young Alumni Achievement Award, 2014 WV Executive Young Gun, 2010 Young Emerging Leader of the Mid-Ohio Valley, 2009 Generation Next: 40 Under 40 by the State Journal, 2008 Leadership Mon graduate, 2005 Leadership West Virginia graduate, 2000 Bonner Scholar graduate, former AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps VISTA, and recently a White House Fellows Regional Finalist. He is a graduate of West Virginia Wesleyan College as a double major in Communication Studies and Political Science. Paul is a Doddridge County, WV native who now resides in Morgantown. 

Nick Deychakiwsky is a program officer working in two Civil Society program areas: Strengthening Civic Space and Enhancing Community Philanthropy. In late 1990, Nick moved to Ukraine, where he worked in various roles supporting democratic and economic reform before joining the Mott Foundation in 2000. Working in the foundation’s former Prague office, he was responsible for grantmaking in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova until late 2006. He subsequently managed U.S. and global nonprofit/philanthropic sector infrastructure and community philanthropy grantmaking. Nick is a board member of United Philanthropy Forum and serves on the Global Philanthropy Forum’s Steering Group. He has also served as a board member and chair of the Russia Donors Forum (2002-2006), board chair of the Ukrainian Philanthropists Forum (2004-2006), board member of the National Council of Nonprofits (2010-2012), member of the Independent Sector Public Policy Committee (2015-2017), and member of the Advisory Committee of the Community Foundation for Livingston County (2010-2016). Nick earned an MBA from Columbia University and worked for Mobil Oil as a supply analyst before returning to school to study music and obtain a master’s degree in choral conducting.

Sidney Hargro started as Philanthropy Network Greater Philadelphia’s president in July 2017. He was previously executive director of the Community Foundation of South Jersey, where he started as the foundation’s first ED in 2009 and increased CFSJ’s assets from $400,000 to more than $20 million over the seven years of his tenure. Prior to leading CFSJ, Sidney was the senior officer for strategy and organizational learning for The Columbus Foundation. He earned a Master of Divinity, honors, with an emphasis on community organizing and civic engagement, at the United Theological Seminary, a Master of Science in mechanical engineering at The Ohio State University, and a Bachelor of Science, summa cum laude, in mechanical engineering at North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State. He previously served as a board member of the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers, Grantmakers for Effective Organizations and the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey. He is also a founding member of the Executive Alliance for Men and Boys of Color.

Claudia Y.W. Herrold is the senior vice president, communications and public policy at Philanthropy Ohio. Claudia works in the fields she’s long had a passion for—passions that started in high school when she worked in her first political campaign and was editor of her high school newspaper. She built her skills and knowledge in journalism and political science when she attended college in Washington, DC, and then graduate school at the University of Michigan. Claudia has worked at Philanthropy Ohio since 1998, one of two “veteran” employees who have seen the organization grow into its current vision. When she’s not overseeing the website, blog, newsletters, reports and marketing efforts or advocating on philanthropy’s behalf with state and federal officials, Claudia plays with her grandchildren, knits, reads, gardens, bikes and plays bridge.

Philip Li oversees all aspects of the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation’s management, including finances, program development, grantmaking, and relationships with peer organizations. Prior to joining the foundation, Phil served as the chief operating officer at The Century Foundation, a public policy think tank, and at the Brooklyn Community Foundation, where he helped the organization convert from a private foundation to a public charity. For four years he led the philanthropic services practice at Changing Our World, a nonprofit consultancy, and prior to that he worked with the Annie E. Casey Foundation on two of its leadership development initiatives. Phil served as the executive director of the Coro New York Leadership Center, a nonprofit that trains and develops individuals interested in public service for four years. He was introduced to Coro as a participant through its Leadership New York program, which prompted him to jump to the nonprofit sector from Wall Street—where he started his career at Merrill Lynch International and finished as a junk bond analyst with Moody’s Investors Service. Phil recently completed his term as the board chair of Philanthropy New York, and recently joined the board of directors of Grantmakers for Effective Organizations. He is also a trustee of two family foundations. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Phil has a B.A. in Economics and Biology and an MBA from The Wharton School in Finance and Strategic Planning.

Jeff Poulos has served since mid-2010 as chief executive officer of Associated Grant Makers, the regional association of grantmakers for Massachusetts and surrounding areas. He served on the board of the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network for seven years, four as treasurer, and was named in 2018 as an Emeritus board member. In addition, Jeff was a member of the Leadership Team of the national D5 Coalition on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Philanthropy. Prior to AGM, Jeff served as executive director of StageSource, the Greater Boston Theatre Alliance, worked at the Huntington Theatre Company in a number of positions, and was general manager at the New Repertory Theatre. Additionally, Jeff has served as Chair of the Arts Services Coalition of Boston, as Board Treasurer of Massachusetts Advocates for Arts Sciences and Humanities (precursor to MassCreative), and as a member of The Boston Foundation Arts and Culture Advisory Committee and the Massachusetts Cultural Council's Advisor Corps. In 2007, Jeff was one of 56 arts leaders to attend the Executive Program for Nonprofit Leadership-Arts at Stanford University Graduate School of Business Center for Social Innovation. In 2011, Jeff was awarded the StageSource Theatre Hero Award for his long-time service to the Greater Boston theatre community.