Wednesday, April 17, 2024
Heising-Simons Foundation, Native American Agriculture Fund, Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro
Sushma Raman, President & CEO, Heising-Simons Foundation, Los Altos & San Francisco, CA
The Heising-Simons Foundation is a family foundation that works with its many partners to advance sustainable solutions in climate and clean energy, enable groundbreaking research in science, enhance the education of our youngest learners, and support human rights for all people. Since it was established in 2007, the foundation has awarded 4,310 grants totalling $1.139B.
Sushma Raman is an interdisciplinary and experienced philanthropic leader. She brings over two decades of experience launching, scaling, and leading social justice and philanthropic programs and collaboratives, including helping build capabilities of grassroots human rights organizations and their leaders. She has also taught graduate courses in the public policy schools at UCLA, USC, Tufts Fletcher School, and Harvard Kennedy School.
Sushma is a Board Member at Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights and, prior to joining the Foundation in 2023, was the Executive Director of the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy since 2015. Her work prior to that included time as a program officer and program manager at the Ford Foundation, where she launched and managed a $100 million global initiative to support emerging human rights and women’s funds globally, and experience as a program officer at the Open Society Foundation, where she launched and coordinated a portion of a $50 million grantmaking program supporting immigrant and refugee rights and the impact of welfare reform. Sushma also led the Southern California Grantmakers association as its President from 2007 to 2012.
Chanel Ford, Director of Programs, Native American Agriculture Fund, Bismarck, ND
The Native American Agriculture Fund (NAAF) is a private, charitable trust which supports Native farmers and ranchers by providing grants to eligible Native organizations for business assistance, agricultural education, technical support, and advocacy services. The charitable trust was created by the settlement of the landmark Keepseagle v. Vilsack class-action lawsuit. NAAF is the largest philanthropic organization devoted solely to serving the Native American farming and ranching community.
Chanel Ford brings more than 7 years of experience working at the community level for tribal youth prevention programs, action planning and implementation, systems integration, raising community awareness, managing prevention/wellness community advisory boards, and conducting community outreach. Previously, Chanel served as Network Director for the Spokane Tribal Network, a 501(c)(3) fostering intergenerational wellness and resiliance. From 2011 -2014, Chanel was Higher Education Manager for the Spokane Tribe of Indians, helping to provide students with the essentials to succeed in obtaining Higher Education.
Chanel is a Graduate of Eastern Washington University with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications/ Public Relations and a Master’s Degree in Education with a focus on Adult Education. Chanel is an enrolled member of the Spokane Tribe of Indians and grew up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. She now resides in Spokane Washington.
Brandon Zeigler, Chief Impact Officer, VP Grants & Initiatives, Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro, Greensboro, NC
The Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro encourages its community: “No dream is too big and no donation is too small for us to help you realize your vision for a better Greensboro…Let’s create lasting impact together” The foundation, founded in 1983, has granted over $330 million to hundreds of nonprofits, received over $440 million in contributions, and established assets approaching $300 million.
As Vice President of Grants and Initiatives, Brandon Zeigler introduced a new streamlined, universal application process for the areas of health and wellness, economic mobility, and cultural vibrancy. At the 2023 Access Granted Conference, Brandon advised Black nonprofit leaders: “Ask for more money. We’re so engrained doing more with the least” Brandon also serves as the Director of Impact Investments at Global Endowment Management where he explained, “We are reimagining capitalism as a system that works for people and our planet across all asset classes.”
Previously, Brandon was a Program Officer with the Walton Family Foundation where he managed a portfolio of education investments focused on community-driven change, advocacy and a national body of work building coalitions in communities of color.
Angela Richardson, Senior Trainer, The Grantsmanship Center
Angela brings more than 20 years' experience as a nonprofit program and fund developer, strategic planner, and organizational coach. As senior trainer, Angela has coached other trainers for The Grantsmanship Center and trained staff for nonprofit organizations, school districts, governments, faith-based organizations, and colleges and universities. She brings additional expertise in education and the arts, recently delivering a virtual workshop for Broward County Cultural Division, FL as part of the Business Skills for Creatives series. Angela has facilitated many in-person Meet-the-Grantmaker panels in Los Angeles for PROJECT GRANTSMANSHIP and for the City of Los Angles, city council members. Recently, Angela trained faculty and community-based nonprofit leaders as part of a Research Proposal Workshop sponsored by UCLA Health Sciences.
