Foundation executive, philanthropic advisor, civic leader. Jeff is nationally-recognized for his extensive service in the philanthropic and nonprofit sectors bringing specific expertise working with family and private foundations. An accomplished grantmaker, executive and advisor, Jeff’s experience is deeply rooted in philanthropic practice and content including education grantmaking, civic affairs, community and economic development, youth issues, and nonprofit management.
Since 2006, as Founder and Lead Advisor of Strategy + Action/Philanthropy, he has helped foundations, nonprofits and institutions around the country become catalysts for change in the communities and causes they serve.
Jeff brings hands-on, real-world knowledge of foundation leadership, governance and management from the executive and senior staff roles he has held over the years. As past president of The Raymond John Wean Foundation, he led a strategic review that resulted in a sustainable management and operations infrastructure, a streamlined grantmaking process, a set of grant priorities and strategies, and the launch of several new and re-imagined community initiatives.
He managed an annual education grantmaking portfolio of up to $5 million at The George Gund Foundation; served as Program Officer for Civic Affairs for The Nord Family Foundation, and Program Officer for Youth Development at The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust. Jeff currently supports The Doll Family Foundation as Foundation Coordinator – a small-asset, multi-generational family foundation which makes grants in five different communities.
From 2021-2024, Jeff was co-director of the Initiative for Strategic Volunteer Engagement, a national funders partnership. This time-limited philanthropic initiative commissioned quantitative and qualitative research and a year-long communications campaign to advance Strategic Volunteer Engagement as an effective practice for funders and nonprofits to achieve greater mission fulfillment.
He is a past board member of Exponent Philanthropy, the nation’s largest philanthropic membership organization; mentor for its Next Generation Fellows Program; and remains involved as a webinar and conference presenter. He has served on the boards of Grantmakers for Education and the regional association of grantmakers in Ohio; and was a founding board member of Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE).
Jeff is a native of Cleveland, Ohio and is now based in Oro Valley, Arizona. You’ll likely find him on his road or mountain bike exploring what’s around that next turn.