2018-2021 Fellows Mary Mountcastle, June Wilson, and Kelly Nowlin speaking at the 2019 National Forum on Family Philanthropy

2018-2021 Fellows Mary Mountcastle, June Wilson, and Kelly Nowlin speaking at the 2019 National Forum on Family Philanthropy

About the Fellows Program

The National Center for Family Philanthropy (NCFP) developed the Fellows Program to accelerate the learning and development of family philanthropy leaders, and to add voices to the NCFP community who can both define and elevate effective practices in the sector.  With the work of its Fellows, through their individual and collective projects, NCFP is better able to support the full spectrum of family philanthropists to reach their full potential. In addition, the Distinguished Fellow – someone who is a significant contributor to family philanthropy with a longstanding and inspirational history of leadership – will also advocate for effective family philanthropy and use their voice, talents, and knowledge to advance the field.

Goals of the Fellows Program

  1. Advance the Field: Empower diverse sector leaders to reflect on the purpose and possibilities of family philanthropy, deepen their expertise, and advance the field.
  2. Promote Learning: Foster the learning, development, and community of sector leaders to effectively strengthen the practice of family philanthropy.
  3. Recognize Leaders: Acknowledge respected, bold practitioners in family philanthropy to elevate effective practices and encourage an open exchange of ideas and information.

Current Fellows (2022-2024)

The National Center for Family Philanthropy (NCFP) is pleased to announce that, following a competitive application process, Dimple Abichandani, Erin Borla, C’Ardiss (CC) Gardner Gleser, and Dilnaz Waraich have been selected to NCFP’s next class of Fellows. David Weitnauer has been selected as a Distinguished Fellow. All five leaders will hold their positions through August 2024.

David Weitnauer was selected as the Distinguished Fellow for his strong grasp on the principles of effective family philanthropy and his commitment to increasing the impact of family philanthropy. David is the president of the R. Howard Dobbs, Jr. Foundation in Atlanta, Georgia, where he has led governance and operations, facilitated intergenerational board transitions, and developed new grantmaking approaches. Among his many accomplishments, David contributed to the launch of the Georgia Social Impact Collaborative and the Georgia Grantmakers Alliance. He brings his experiences as a Presbyterian minister and counselor to his empathetic and collaborative approach.

Dimple Abichandani is a board member of the Solidaire Network and the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project. Previously, she served as the executive director of the General Service Foundation. Dimple is deeply involved in the philanthropic sector and has used her voice extensively to share effective practices with the family philanthropy community through writing and speaking engagements.

Erin Borla, executive director and trustee of the Roundhouse Foundation in Sisters, Oregon, has a passion for supporting rural and Native communities. To her work, Erin brings practices of deep listening and collaboration as well as her experiences working with and for nonprofit organizations. Erin is an advocate for relationship-building and the ways in which funders can support grantees beyond financial contributions.

CC Gardner Gleser has significant experience in philanthropy. She currently chairs the Andrus Family Fund and most recently worked as the director of programs and strategic initiatives at the Satterberg Foundation. She also serves on the boards of the Charlotte Martin Foundation, Philanthropy Northwest, Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy, and Grist, as well as leading her own consulting practice that provides services for the philanthropic sector and healing spaces for Black scholars, artists, and social justice advocates.

Dilnaz Waraich is president of the WF Fund and uses her philanthropic efforts to further pluralism and build bridges across communities. Dilnaz works closely with the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy’s Muslim Philanthropy Initiative and funded the school’s Community Collaboration Initiative, which aligns with her commitment to supporting philanthropic and nonprofit collaboration.

Past Activities

Examples of past Fellows’ activities:

  • Blog posts, interviews, and other written materials
  • Speaking engagements and content development for NCFP programs and conferences, including the National Forum on Family Philanthropy
  • Service on NCFP program and planning committees
  • Racial Justice Learning and Action Network development and oversight
Susan Packard Orr (L) and Alice Buhl (R)

Distinguished Fellow Susan Packard Orr and Senior Fellow Alice Buhl

Questions?

If you have questions about the Fellows program please contact NCFP at ncfp@ncfp.org.

 

 

 

 

 

Current & Past Fellows

Ginny Esposito

Virginia M. Esposito

Senior Fellow and Founding President

David Weitnauer

President, R. Howard Dobbs, Jr. Foundation | NCFP Distinguished Fellow (2022-2024)

Dimple Abichandani

Board Member, Solidaire Network | NCFP Fellow (2022-2024)

Photo of Erin Borla

Erin Borla

Executive Director & Trustee, Roundhouse Foundation | NCFP Fellow (2022-2024)

CC Gardner Gleser

C’Ardiss “CC” Gardner Gleser

Board Member, Andrus Family Fund and Charlotte Martin Foundation | NCFP Fellow (2022-2024)

Dilnaz Waraich

President, WF Fund | NCFP Fellow (2022-2024)

Alice Buhl

Alice Buhl

Senior Fellow (2004-2019)

Katherine Lorenz

President, The Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation; NCFP Fellow (2015-2018)

Mary Mountcastle

Mary Mountcastle

Trustee, Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation | NCFP Distinguished Fellow (2018–2021)

Kelly Nowlin

Kelly D. Nowlin

Principal, KDN Philanthropy Consulting | NCFP Fellow (2018–2021)

Susan Packard Orr

Distinguished Fellow (2014–2018)

Doug Bitonti Stewart

Doug Bitonti Stewart

Executive Director, Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation, NCFP Fellow (2015–2018)

June Wilson headshot

June L. Wilson

Executive Director, Compton Foundation | NCFP Fellow (2018–2021)