Professional Development

Due to COVID-19, all 2020 Career Pathways in-person programming has been deferred to 2021. This monthly community building hour will give Career Pathways 2020 cohort a virtual opportunity to connect, reflect, share, and discuss a host of topics – from national issues to sector solutions…

I’ve just finished a year-long program that aims to bring more diverse senior leadership to the philanthropic sector. My time with Council on Foundations’ Career Pathways program was transformative and will, no doubt, have an impact on my thinking and career trajectory in ways that I can’t yet even…

The CFUnited 2020 Conference is cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak. For more information, please see the official conference statement. Learn More   In January 2019, The Council on Foundations joined AdNet, Comma and ProNet as the fourth partner under the CFUnited umbrella to bring…

I once joked with a friend that I had no personality of my own, rather that I was made up of a Frankenstein patchwork of all the people I’ve met. The tendency to wander in my storytelling? Let me introduce you to my late grandfather. The courage to opine on things not even remotely in my ken? Let…

At our Chicago learning session, I was inspired by the approaches of colleagues from the MacArthur, Kellogg, Joyce, Grand Victoria, and California Wellness foundations, alongside friends from BoardSource and the Council on Foundations. Over the course of three days, these brilliant women (yes, they…

Alejandra Garduño Martinezserves as a program officer at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. As part of Latin America and the Caribbean, she provides leadership and strategy implementation for the place-based program in Mexico. She coordinates grant-making activities, executes programming efforts,…

During her time at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Donita has engaged with a range of individual donors and family foundations, and is now working with her team to gather and disseminate organizational knowledge with the goal of enhancing Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors' profile as a thought…

After working in the philanthropic field for the past 10 years, the Council on Foundations Career Pathways Program gave me the opportunity—and frankly the time—to seriously consider being an executive leader in the sector. It’s not something I could always see for myself. I am happy to say I can…

Great Food, Inspiring Conversations On May 1st, those of us in the 2019 Career Pathways cohort gathered in Miami’s South Beach for Learning Session Two. As we reconnected, we ventured out to a local restaurant. Now, I love to eat. I love “good” food. I love “bad” food. When I visit some place, what…

Members, View Recording On July 10, 2:00 p.m. ET, the Council hosted a funders-only webinar with the Democracy Funders 2020 Census Subgroup. During this event, we've learned more about the national philanthropy strategy to ensure an accurate count on the 2020 census and understandwhat…

Why Career Pathways May marked my second session of the year-long Council on Foundations Career Pathways program. I applied to the program because several of my philanthropy mentors who are program alumni found it valuable, and enthusiastically encouraged me to pursue the opportunity. More than a…

Sharnita serves as Program Director, Arts, at The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. She directs the Foundation’s Arts grants, which foster a diverse and vibrant arts ecosystem, create broad-based public support of the arts, and support communities engaged in creative placemaking in New Jersey.…

“Have a great day and let your sun shine!” These are my departing words for my 8-year-old daughter every morning at drop off. It’s my rally cry hoping she unleashes her true self on the world (well, ok, her second-grade classroom) in everything she does. Why Career Pathways The 2019 Career…

I initially became interested in philanthropy while serving as artistic director of The Harmony Theatre Company, which I cofounded while an undergraduate at Columbia University. Navigating the funding landscape was a nigh-constant challenge, and it was clear that I would need to ascertain quite a…