Meet Amanda

My career – both professional and volunteer – has focused on mission-driven work in pursuit of social justice. I believe that the charitable sector has a unique role to play in this work, and that organizations will most effectively fulfill their missions if their structure is aligned, and if they embody a healthy organizational culture with trusting relationships both inside their organizations and with their partners. I am passionate about nonprofit effectiveness, and I bring over 25 years of experience strengthening organizational culture and capacity from within, and coaching nonprofits from outside. I’ve worked with organizations ranging from small community-based nonprofits to the leading foundations and nonprofits in the country. Here are a few vignettes of my work.

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At Independent Sector (IS), a national membership organization of nonprofits, foundations, and corporate giving programs, I led the revision of IS’ landmark Principles for Good Governance and Ethical Practice. These include requirements and best practices for legal compliance and public disclosure, effective governance, strong financial oversight, and responsible fundraising. I also led IS’ leadership development programs, directed case studies of healthy funder-grantee dynamics, and co-chaired the Georgetown University Law Center-Independent Sector Annual Continuing Legal Education Conference on nonprofit governance.

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This work led me to teaching nonprofit ethics at master’s degree programs in nonprofit leadership at Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania. 

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At Convergence Center for Policy Resolution, a national organization which bridges ideological divides to solve the nation’s most intractable issues, I established infrastructure needed for a young nonprofit to mature and thrive. This included organizational planning and accountability; diversity, equity, and inclusion; learning and evaluation; board recruitment and evaluation; and talent recruitment and retention. I led Convergence through a founder CEO transition and ensuing change management, diversified the Board, and supported two strategic planning processes. Convergence’s organizational effectiveness was recently recognized with a transformational grant from MacKenzie Scott.

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At Public Education Network (PEN), a network of community-based nonprofit advocacy organizations working to improve public education in high poverty school districts across the US, I led regranting of over $40M in philanthropic dollars to community-based nonprofits. I also led policy advocacy, partnerships, and program development.

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I have served on and chaired the Boards of Directors and committees of national and local nonprofit organizations.

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I received my J.D. from New York University School of Law and my B.A. from Barnard College, Columbia University.  I am BoardSource-certified in Nonprofit Board Consulting.