Char Mollison

Char Mollison 
4891 Potomac Ave. NW 
Washington, DC 20007 
(Home/office) 202.337.2315 (Cell) 202.849.1453 
charmoll@comcast.net 
cmolliso@gmu.edu

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Senior Fellow, Center on Nonprofits, Philanthropy and Social Enterprise and Member, Affiliated Faculty, schar school of policy and government, George Mason University (September 2015 to Present); Adjunct Faculty (2007 to Present). I teach graduate courses in nonprofit management, governance and ethics, leadership, and international NGO policy and management. I also take on special projects. One such project included serving as the lead writer of a paper on the role of federal liaisons in partnerships between government agencies and philanthropy. From 2019 to 2023 I was appointed to the Provost’s Adjunct Faculty Committee where I chaired the Survey Subcommittee.

Senior Fellow, Center for Advanced Governmental Studies (appointed March 2018); Faculty and Program Coordinator, Nonprofit Management Program, Johns Hopkins University (September 2011 to August 2015); Adjunct Faculty (from 2005 to 2021). My responsibility as program coordinator had been to create and manage an on-line graduate certificate program in nonprofit management as well as teach graduate courses. I began teaching at the university in 2005. From 2014 through 2016, I also served as the university’s liaison with the Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers (now called Philanthropy DMV) for the Institute for Corporate Social Responsibility.

Global Consultant and University Teacher, Nonprofit Management and Governance. I have been consulting since 1994 and teaching since 1997. Clients have included the governing boards and executive staff of community-based, national and international organizations in the U.S. and nongovernmental organizations and government officials in Europe, Asia, Central Asia, Latin America and Africa. See page 3 for faculty affiliations and pages 4-13 for all other.

Vice President, Member Services Group, Council on Foundations, Washington, DC (January 1998 to June 2007). The Council is a national membership association for grantmaking foundations and corporations. I had responsibility for programs serving all of the Council’s member constituencies and for membership recruitment and retention. I also supervised the Council’s research, its program for foundation governing boards, its program for international grantmakers, and two projects that incubated there (the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers and the WINGS network of grantmaker associations around the world). The combined budget for these programs was about $8 million covering up to 30 staff positions. Starting in 2006, I became responsible for the team that brought in $12 million in revenue, nearly 80 percent of the Council’s annual budget. Our goal was to serve and engage the different types of Council members, foster cross-constituency dialogue and understanding, and assure a unified voice for philanthropy. Achievements in which I played a leading and/or oversight role:

• The national initiative to create standards and principles for community foundations, family and independent foundations, and corporate grantmakers. Congress has cited these efforts as positive examples of self-regulation.
• The design of new programs to improve effectiveness and accountability, such as the Institute for New Board Members and constituency-specific training courses.
• Oversight of the development of principles for accountability in international philanthropy and guidelines for disaster grantmaking (both in partnership with the European Foundation Centre), and the sponsorship of a Web-based service for international grantmaking (United States International Grantmaking, now part of the Council’s website).
• A complete overhaul of how the Council engaged with its community foundation members, including the creation of an innovative structure called “the Shared Leadership Plan.” Membership numbers grew dramatically, from 325 in 1997 to over 550 ten years later, representing by that time the universe of active, staffed community foundations.

Independent Sector, Washington, DC (May 1989 to November 1997), a national leadership forum and coalition of philanthropic and voluntary organizations.

April 1991 - Nov. 1997 
Vice President for Membership

Sept. 1989 - March 1991 
Vice President, 10th Anniversary Membership Drive

May 1989 – Aug. 1989 
Associate Director of Government Relations

I was initially hired to develop a grass roots network of advocates for nonprofits. After a few months, President Brian O’Connell asked me to provide the staff leadership for a nationwide campaign involving hundreds of IS volunteers to increase the coalition's membership from 600 to 800 organizational members. To stabilize IS after this dramatic growth spurt, I was then asked to assume the role of Vice President for Membership, in which capacity I refined and managed the systems - including information systems and volunteer engagement - that resulted in a consistent 90 percent membership retention rate and steady flow of over $2 million in dues revenue, providing about 30 percent of the annual budget and a significant source of unrestricted support. The President turned to me for other assignments, such as coordinating a three-year, $10 million fundraising campaign, increasing by over $1 million a year the amounts available to advance program goals and enabling IS to double the program reserve and contingency fund and modernize technologically.

Weal (January 1977- April 1989), a national, nonprofit, membership organization that specialized in research, public education and advocacy on economic issues affecting women and their families.

Oct. 1980 - April 1989 
Executive Director

Jan. 1980 - Oct. 1980 
Director, Project on Title IX and Women’s Sports

Sept. 1977 - Dec. 1979 
Staff, Project on Title IX and Women’s Sports

As Executive Director, I was responsible for the team of volunteers and staff, the public outreach and fundraising to win several new laws relating to women's legal and economic advancement. These public policy victories opened opportunities for women in education and employment (including the military) and brought reforms in laws governing health insurance, pensions, taxes, credit, and Social Security. Many of WEAL's efforts focused on the needs of women struggling to support families on very little income and on the invisible poverty among elderly women living alone. A WEAL Internship Program helped us leverage limited funds by attracting a talented cadre of workers, and we, in return, taught and mentored them. Support for WEAL’s work came from a mix of individual contributions, foundation and corporate grants, and government grants and contracts. 

FACULTY AFFILIATIONS

George Mason University (August 2007 – December 2011; and again September – December 2015, continuing as Senior Fellow to present). I taught the graduate course in nonprofit management, a required course for students earning a Master’s in Public and International Affairs who had chosen the concentration in nonprofit studies. I also taught an elective on nonprofit law, governance and ethics and a new course offering local and global perspectives on the subject of nonprofit accountability. I taught both in classrooms and on-line. The on-line courses were for professionals enrolled in the Zoo and Aquarium Leadership master’s program (a partnership with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums). In the Fall 2015 semester, I taught the graduate courses in nonprofit management and in international NGO policy and management for the Schar School of Policy and Government. In November 2011, I was appointed a Fellow of the university’s Center for Nonprofit Management, Philanthropy and Policy (now called Center for Nonprofits, Philanthropy and Social Enterprise), and promoted to Senior Fellow in September 2015. I continued to receive teaching assignments including graduate courses called “Leading in the Nonprofit Sector” (Fall 2018), “Introduction to Nonprofit Management” (Spring 2020 and 2021), and “NGO Policy and Management” (Fall 2020). 

Johns Hopkins University (January 2005 – 2021). I’ve taught graduate courses in nonprofit governance, law and ethics in the Center for Civil Society Studies; two graduate courses – “Overview of the Nonprofit Sector” and “Nonprofit Governance, Ethics and Executive Leadership” – in the Carey Business School; and two courses - “Influence and Impact of Nonprofits” and “Nonprofit Governance and Executive Leadership” - in the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences. I was active in small curriculum design committees both for the business school (in 2007-2008) and for the new Krieger School certificate program in nonprofit management (2008-2015). I have also served as a thesis reviewer and advisor to students. I was recognized with the “Excellence in Teaching” award for the academic year 2010-2011, invited to join the staff in September 2011, and named Senior Fellow of the Center for Advanced Governmental Studies in 2018. 

American University(September 2020 – 2022). During the Covid-19 pandemic, when universities were temporarily converting courses for on-line delivery, I was asked to teach on-line the graduate course called “Managing Nonprofit Organizations” in the School of Public Affairs.

Georgetown University (September 1997 - 2005). I taught the graduate seminar in nonprofit management and governance for the Public Policy Institute. 

Global Teaching (Since 1994)

I have conducted workshops in nonprofit management and governance and related subjects to leaders of nongovernmental organizations and government officials in other countries, including China, Central Asia, Bangladesh, West Africa, Slovenia, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Latin America and Western Europe. At the request of the Phelps Stokes Fund, I created and conducted a tutorial in nonprofit management for a Chinese NGO leader who was in the U.S. for a brief study trip.

Guest Undergraduate Faculty, Department of Music, George Washington University (periodically throughout the 1990s). I was invited to lead sessions in undergraduate courses on the subject of opera or women in music.

Teaching Fellow, Queens College, City University of New York (1977). 

I taught undergraduates in the English Department while pursuing my graduate education. Most of the students were low-income people and recent immigrants.

VOLUNTEER AND COMMUNITY SERVICE

Board of Directors, Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) America (January 2013 - Present), a charitable intermediary that fosters international giving by providing a range of services to individual donors, foundations and corporations, including the management of donor-advised funds and grantmaking of over $1 billion to 1.8 million foreign nonprofits in 110 countries. Elected Board Secretary in March 2014. Elected Board Chair beginning May 2022. Invited by the CAF Group Trustees (the parent organization in the UK) to serve on their Nominations, Remuneration and Culture Committee (NRCC) beginning in 2023. Elected member, CAF Canada beginning February 2023.

Board of Directors, Wise Giving Alliance, a partnership with the Better Business Bureaus (January 2012 – December 2021), a service to help donors determine whether nonprofits meet a set of 20 basic accountability standards and to help nonprofits earn Better Business Bureau accreditation through a national charity seal program. Elected Treasurer, December 2015. Elected Vice Chair, October 2017. Elected Chair, October 2019. Named Director Emeritus, December 2021. Appointed to the Advisory Committee for the Donor Trust Report (2022 – Present).

Board of Directors, New Faculty Majority Foundation (December 2013 – June 2016), a national organization dedicated to research and public information concerning the working conditions of adjunct and contingent faculty. Now serving on the Advisory Board.

Board of Directors, Palisades Village, Washington, DC (January 2015 – December 2020; January 2022 - Present), a local nonprofit that mobilizes volunteers to help older adults stay in their homes as they age. Elected Board Secretary in January 2016 – December 2020. Elected Vice President in January 2025. Since 2009, I have been a member of the group of volunteer chefs known as The Palisades Village Pan Handlers. We prepare and serve food for the organization’s social events. Since 2016, I have been a member of the endowment Campaign Committee, the Governance Committee and the Human Resources Committee.

Board of Directors, House of Ruth, Washington, DC (1983 – 1998; again 2006 - 2013), a nonprofit providing services to homeless or abused women and children, including emergency shelter, transitional housing, developmental day care and medical and psychiatric care; Chair, Board Fundraising Committee 1990-1995; President 1995-1998; member of the Program Committee and the Governance Committee.

Board of Directors (founding board), Partners of Tanzania’s Relief and Development (2008 – 2011), a U.S.-based nonprofit organization whose purpose is to support Action for Relief and Development Assistance (AFREDA), a Tanzanian NGO that works on community development in rural areas. Projects focus on children, HIV/AIDS prevention, women’s empowerment, household poverty and conservation.

Advisory Board, A Musical Heart Project, ArcoVoce (appointed 2013), a chamber music group working to form partnerships with hospices to play live music for residents.

Advisory Board, BolderGiving.org (appointed 2007), a Web-based service to encourage the newly wealthy to be philanthropic.

Advisory Board, CharityWave.com (2000 - 2004), a service to enable individuals to make donations to charities over the Web (now called NYCharities.org).

National Advisory Board, Public Leadership Education Network, a consortium of colleges and universities to promote women in public service careers. Recipient in 1997 of the “Mentor Award.” (1993 – Present)

Board of Directors, Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington (1986 – 1990).

Board of Directors, Welfare Research Institute (1990 – 1992), a New York-based think tank providing research and technical assistance to states, municipalities and nonprofits on the delivery of social services, fundraising and financial management.

Co-Founder, Editor, Reporter for “The Paper” in East Lansing, Michigan (1965-1967) and Reporter for “The South End” in Detroit, Michigan (1968-1969), two independent, nonprofit community newspapers (part of the underground press movement in the U.S.) to cover issues ignored by the commercial press. I covered issues related to the corporatization of the modern university.

EDUCATION

MA (1985), Comparative Literature, Graduate Center, City University of New York

BA (1972), Honors College, Michigan State University

SELECTED MEMBERSHIPS

CIVICUS 
BoardSource 
Wagner Society 
Metropolitan Opera Guild

Through my university affiliation, I am a member of the European Foundation Centre (now called Philanthropy Europe Association or PHILEA), Independent Sector, and the Nonprofit Academic Centers Council.

PERSONAL DATA

Married for over 46 years to Andy Mollison, a veteran, award-winning journalist who died in May, 2014. In retirement, Andy was a leader in the national and regional aging-in-place movement.

Live in a 1926 Sears bungalow in the Palisades in DC.

Opera buff, occasional speaker about opera.

Washington Nationals baseball fan. 

SELECTED PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

Vocal Arts DC: I provided advice to the board leadership on potential initiatives to expand the subscriber base for this nonprofit that sponsors performances of classical art song. (January 2025)

Center for Free, Fair and Accountable Democracy: I provided advice on next steps for advancing the size and reach of this new nonprofit organization to the founder and board chair and two other board members. In a second request, I provided advice about the pros and cons of fiscal sponsorship and reviewed a prospective course of action. (November 2021 and November 2024)

Electrify DC: I was asked by this DC-based nonprofit organization to advise on building a board of directors beyond the founding board. (October 2024)

George Mason University retired computer science faculty member: A retired faculty member in the College of Science sought advice about how to start a new nonprofit to facilitate citizen-driven referenda through technology. (April 2024)

EduCare Sri Lanka: I was asked by the founder of this start-up organization to review a prospectus and advise on approaches to programming, funding, and public outreach. The founder is with the Mayo Clinic. (March 2024)

Stanford University, Master’s in Journalism program: I was asked to advise a graduate student (who is also a working journalist) on nonprofit legal and ethical standards for an investigative study of sports charities. (February 2024)

Mentorship Program/Schar School of Policy and Government/George Mason University: I was asked to mentor a student who had graduated with a masters degree in nonprofit management. (September 2023)

Minnesota Council of Nonprofits: I was asked to review a draft of the section in the “2023 Minnesota Nonprofit Economy Report” concerning gender and average annual wages. (September 2023)

The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars: I gave a talk on “Understanding the Concept of Civil Society” to undergraduates from both the U.S. and Japan who were part of the “2023 Building the TOMODACHI Generation Morgan Stanley Ambassadors Program,” an initiative of the U.S.-Japan Council. (August 2023)

Tigershark Aquatic Club: In a referral from BoardSource, the executive director of this 501c3 organization in Michigan sought my advice concerning a board member’s potential conflict of interest. (August 2023)

Office of the Provost, George Mason University: As a former member of the Provost’s

Adjunct Faculty Committee, I was asked to review a draft survey intended for adjunct faculty at the university. (July 2023)

Riverworks Arts Center: I provided board members with an overview of strategies for financial sustainability and responded to questions about nonprofit governance. (June 2023)

Zakros InterArts: I provided advice on options for maintaining tax exempt status in order to qualify for grants from the DC Commission for the Arts in support of a new virtual museum called Museum of Extended Cinema and Cybernet Art (MECCA). (April 2022; May 2023)

George Mason University Honor College Connect: I was asked to advise a group of students on their project to create a comprehensive fundraising plan for the League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area. (March 2023)

Fashion Collection (a national nonprofit network of retail clothing stores committed to sustainable fashion): I was asked to work with its Board of Directors as they plan for the future. (March 2023) 

Author and Journalist Lisa Napoli: I was interviewed on the significant philanthropy of Joan Kroc for an article in the Chronicle of Philanthropy. (January 2023)

American University Project on Civil Discourse: I was invited to give a talk to undergraduate and graduate students on the role of dissent in effective nonprofit management (October 2022).

Kogod School of Business, American University: I was invited to speak to graduate students taking the “Nonprofit Leadership and Management” course on the subject of mission vs. reality (June 2022).

Provost’s Adjunct Faculty Committee, George Mason University: I was appointed to this university-wide committee by the Provost in September 2019 and served until May 2023.

Donor Trust Report Advisory Committee, Wise Giving Alliance: I was appointed to this committee in 2022 to advise national research projects on donor trust in nonprofit organizations.

Foundation Review, Dorothy A. Johnson Center on Philanthropy, Grand Valley State University: I serve as a peer reviewer of manuscripts on philanthropy and the nonprofit sector in the US and abroad. (Beginning in 2009 with the most recent review in October 2022.)

Emmanuel Lutheran Church (Bethesda, Maryland): I advised the Treasurer of the Church Council on managing volunteers. (January 2021)

Susan Jean Murphy Evans Living Legacy Fund (Charlottesville, Virginia): At the request of the founder of this health care foundation, I reviewed a draft website and made recommendations on regions served and scaling up. In a follow up request, I advised on interim solutions for accepting donations and options for incorporating and winning IRS approval for the new foundation. (July, September 2021)

HIAS (founded in 1881 as the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society): At the request of a HIAS board member, I advised the chief executive and chief financial officers on the implications of meeting the requirements of different nonprofit standard-setting bodies. (October 2020)

International Center for Not-for-Profit Law: I made a presentation to government representatives and NGO leaders from Central Asia on the subject of nonprofit self-regulation. (June 2018)

Missouri Health Advocacy Alliance and the Women’s Equality Week Coalition: I advised a board member who serves on both organizations noted. In the first instance, I advised on her role as chair of the nominating and policy/program committees and how to relate to the executive committee (September and October 2016), and in the second instance I advised on the history of certain women’s rights issues and strategies for unifying diverse constituencies (June 2017). Most recently, I advised on where to find resources for creating policy documents appropriate for nonprofit governance and operations. (March 2019)

Public Leadership Education Network: I advised the board of directors of this consortium of universities on trends in nonprofit management, governance and philanthropy. (June 2018)

Wise Giving Alliance of the Council of Better Business Bureaus: I reviewed a manuscript based on survey data concerning trust in charitable organizations. (June 2018)

Citizens Climate Lobby: I advised two board members on governance strategies to maximize the relationship between this 501c4 nonprofit and its 501c3 counterpart, and later in the year on general governance issues. I advised the chief executive on board relations. (February – May, 2017; December 2017; January 2018)

Council on Foundations: I was part of a three-person team of people contracted to prepare a paper for the White House Transition Team on the subject of public/philanthropic partnerships. (September 2016 – March 2017)

Norwegian Refugee Council: I advised the executive with responsibility for setting up a U.S. office on how to build and maintain a nonprofit governing board. In a follow-up session, I advised the director of corporate partnerships from the international headquarters in Oslo, Norway on corporate, foundation and high net-worth donor philanthropy in the U.S. (January 2016; November 2017) 

Advising to an individual forming a nonprofit to benefit environmental organizations focused on Pikes Peak in Colorado. (September 2017) 

Association of Women in Mathematics: I advised a former board member who had been consulted by the current leadership on an issue related to tax exemption, IRS Form 990 filing, and board vs. management company responsibilities. (November 2016)

Acupuncture Access Project: I advised an individual who had won a grant to start this project and needed a fiscal sponsor. (November 2016)

Schar School of Policy and Government/George Mason University: I was invited to give a talk on “Leadership in Public Administration” to a delegation of Chinese civil servants from Qinghai Province. (July 2016)

National Nonprofit Leadership Conference: I spoke on the history of foundations and their grantmaking practices to participants from ten state associations of nonprofits. (April 2016)

Institute for International Education: I briefed participants in the International Visitor Leadership Program of the U.S. Department of State on the subject of “Nonprofits and Civic Activism.” (February 2016)

University of Seoul/Professor Yoonho Kim: I edited his manuscript for publication in English on the subject of new management paradigms. (March 2016) Upon request, I provided information about nonprofit standard-setting in the U.S. (April 2018)

Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers: I advised this membership association on creating a professional development opportunity for corporate executives on the subject of corporate social responsibility to be co-sponsored by Johns Hopkins University. I served as a co-leader of the advisory committee, recruited a national expert to design the curriculum, and devised an evaluation instrument for the participants to use. I was the liaison with the university. The Institute for Corporate Social Responsibility launched in January 2014 and continues to this day. (I served January 2012 – 2016.)

Second Journey: I advised the founder and chief executive of this North Carolina-based nonprofit organization on the basics of nonprofit law and expectations of a governing board. (March 2016)

Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB): I review manuscripts that have been submitted for publication. (Beginning Spring 2014 with the most recent being in November 2015)

Center for Budget and Policy Priorities: I was asked if I would be willing to be included in a funding proposal as a consultant to one of their state initiatives. Declined for lack of time but identified two other individuals, whom they contacted. (February 2015)

180 Degrees Consulting: I was asked by this international nonprofit alliance, based in Australia, to advise on structural and financing options. (September 2014)

BoardSource: I was an advisor to author Kathy Hedge on the book “Engaging Your Board in Fundraising: A Staff’s Guide,” published by BoardSource in February 2014.

Partners of the Americas Annual “PartnersCampus” Convention: I conducted a workshop on building and managing executive boards for about 15 leaders of Partners chapters at universities in both Latin America and the U.S. (July 2012; again on July 30, 2013; advanced workshop planned for later.)

ArcoVoce: I was asked to give management advice to this local nonprofit chamber music group regarding a new project to play music in hospices and then invited to be a member of the advisory committee. (2013 - Present)

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS): I was asked by a member of one of its committees to advise its “On-Call Scientists” project, an initiative where scientists donate their skills to human rights NGOs. I developed a “client” list of major NGO associations, as well as international development intermediaries in Europe and the U.S., that could be gateways to human rights NGOs. (November 2013)

Friends of the Benedictines of the Holy Land, a U.S.-based nonprofit that raises funds to support historic Christian sites in Jerusalem: I advised on the hiring of their first development professional. (January 2013)

Apne Aap Worldwide: I was asked to advise this nonprofit organization, which is based in both India and the U.S. and works to eradicate sex trafficking, on their fundraising plan. (Summer, 2013)

Department of Public Sociology, George Mason University: I was asked to advise a group of doctoral students who were conducting a survey on working conditions for adjunct and contingent faculty. (2013-2015)

New Faculty Majority Foundation: In September 2013 I was asked to advise the founding chief executive of this new organization on various management, governance and fundraising matters and then in December 2013 was elected to the board of directors. (2013 - 2016)

Reviewer of manuscripts on nonprofit subjects for the Journal of Public Administration and Policy Research, an open-access, on-line journal that publishes peer-reviewed articles monthly (May 2012) and for University of Toronto Press (September 2012).

World Bank Consultation on Global Partnership for Social Accountability, an invitation-only meeting to advise the staff of the World Bank Institute on direct funding to nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in developing countries. The goal is to empower citizens to hold their governments accountable for effective use of development aid. (February 2012)

Charities Aid Foundation America (CAF America), a U.S.-based nonprofit that serves donors awarding grants overseas: I advised the board of directors on the hiring of a new chief executive (October – December 2011) and conducted a workshop for staff on human resource management best practices (September – October 2012). I was later invited to join the board.

Management and governance advising to the executive director of VisArts, a gallery and art center in Rockville, Maryland (starting June 2011); to a board member of C&O Canal Trust, Hagerstown, Maryland (various times during 2011, 2012 and 2013); and to a consultant representing NeighborWorks regarding a strategy for sustainability for a new national community development program (July 2011).

Philanthropic advising to an Indian-American family just starting to give at a significant level (October 2010 - Present); to an Iraqi/Kurd-American family anticipating significant revenue from a medical invention (September 2011); to a retired executive in the financial industry on her family philanthropy (2014); proposal advisor to Healthcare Initiative Foundation in Montgomery County, Maryland (October 2010).

U.S. Department of State International Visitors Program/Academy for Educational Development: I conducted a briefing on the role of private organizations in holding government and business accountable (September 2010).

WSWA Educational Foundation, Scholarship Council, one of three people reviewing college scholarship applications for this business trade association (2010 - Present).

National History Day Judge, E. L. Haynes Public Charter School, serving as a volunteer judge of history projects submitted by tenth grade students for the National History Day competition sponsored by the National Archives (2017 – Present).

Les Aspin Center for Government at Marquette University: I led a workshop for a delegation from West Africa on the role of NGOs in a democracy (June 2010).

La Case Santé et Environnement, an NGO based in Burkina Faso: I advised the executive director on website content and how to approach donors (May 2010).

BoardSource, for whom I critiqued a new assessment tool for the boards of community foundations (April 2010).

Salzburg (Austria) Theatre Productions: at the request of the U.S. Consulate in Austria, I provided advice to the chief executive on raising funds in the U.S. for cultural projects abroad (April 2010).

Integritete (an affiliate of Transparency International in Ljubljana, Slovenia), where I conducted two workshops on nonprofit governance and ethics and advised on the creation of an NGO code of ethics. I also contributed to a publication on the subject of NGO ethics and accountability (December 2009 and May 2010).

University of Maribor, Faculty of Criminal Justice and Security (Ljubljana, Slovenia), where I presented a lecture on the history of nonprofit governing boards (December 2009).

Review of manuscripts on nonprofit leadership and management for Lyceum Books and Jossey-Bass Wiley (October 2009).

Advice on creating a nonprofit studies curriculum for St. Petersburg College, a community college in Florida (November 2009).

Muslim American Society: I conducted a workshop on governance for the newly elected national board of this civic association of Muslim Americans (March 2009).

Fusion Health Solutions, a new nonprofit focused on bringing practical public health solutions to struggling rural and tribal communities: I advised on the basics of nonprofit management and governance (February 2009).

The Wagner Society of Washington, DC: I facilitated strategic planning by the governing board related to its emerging singers program (June 2008).

Mexico-U.S. Professional Exchange on Enabling International Giving, sponsored by the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law, the Council on Foundations, Hewlett Foundation and Caplin & Drysdale. I gave a speech and fielded a Q&A on philanthropy and nonprofit initiative in the U.S. to leading Mexican civil servants and NGO executives (March 2008).

Academy for Educational Development, an international development NGO (now part of FHI) based in Washington, DC, where I served as an advisor on a USAID-financed initiative to enhance the sustainability of NGO’s in the emerging democracies. (December, 2007 – June, 2008).

European Foundation Centre (EFC), a Brussels-based, international association of grantmakers: I assisted a consultant with recommendations for building the capacity of the EFC to serve its membership (March 2008).

Kettering Foundation, one of five individuals invited to advise the Kettering Foundation on a future program of research on philanthropy and civic engagement (November 2007).

Aspen Institute, participant in an advisory group for a publication called The Roles and Contributions of Foundations in Society by Helmut Anheier (UCLA) and David Hammack (Case Western Reserve) (August 2007).

Worldwide Initiatives for Grantmaker Support (WINGS), Steering Committee, a global network of associations of grantmakers currently headquartered in São Paulo, Brazil. I was the responsible vice president at the Council on Foundations as this organization incubated there and then spun off successfully (2007).

Academy for Educational Development/Center for International Exchanges: I conducted a staff workshop on the difference between raising funds from private and public sources (December 2006).

Yale-China Association, one of three individuals selected to conduct workshops at universities in Beijing and Guangzhou on the role of NGOs in civil society and on techniques for effective management and governance (March 2006).

Phelps Stokes Fund, designed and conducted a tutorial on nonprofit management for an NGO leader from China who was in the U.S. on a study trip (August 2006).

Committee on Ethics and Accountability, Independent Sector, to recommend ways for nonprofits to demonstrate ethical and accountable behavior to the public (2005).

Advisory Committee, Transatlantic Community Foundation Network, Bertelsmann Foundation, to enable community philanthropy organizations in the U.S. and Europe learn from each other and engage in joint projects where appropriate (2002 – 2006).

International Committee, European Foundation Centre, a committee that brings together major American and European philanthropies to discuss obstacles to cross-border philanthropy and opportunities for collaboration (2001 – 2006).

German Marshall Fund of the U.S., a member of a core group of experts who over several years would brief the European participants in the Marshall Memorial Fellowship Program. 

Amnesty International, an international human rights NGO for whose board of directors I served as a resource on governance best practice (April 2005).

Prince Georges Community Foundation (Maryland): The governing board asked me to provide background information about the community foundation movement in the U.S. and to share “best practices” in that field for exercising community leadership and building assets (January 2005).

Georgetown University/Nonprofit Job Seminar: I gave a talk on attributes for a successful career in the nonprofit sector (March 2001).

National 4-H Council: I led a workshop for the trustees of state-level 4-H foundations on the subject of leadership development and transition (April 1998).

National Center for Nonprofit Boards (now BoardSource): I led a workshop for their international fellows on how to impart best practice governance principles to NGO leaders in other countries (November 1997).

Consumer Health Foundation: Provided advice on different grantmaking strategies for the newly constituted board of directors (June 1997).

Summit for Animals: I gave a talk on effective coalition-building (April 1997).

Georgetown University/Global Nonprofit Sector Graduate-Level Class: I was a guest speaker on the subject of NGOs in Eastern Europe and Asia (February 1997).

PRIP Trust (Dhaka, Bangladesh): under a USAID-financed program, I conducted training in governance and accountability for about 40 NGO representatives and a session on coalition-building for about 30 of them. While in the country, I was invited to handle other assignments, including a board/staff planning session for the PRIP Trust and a dialogue about governance training for grantees of the NGO called BRAC (December 1996).

Environmental Partnership of Eastern and Central Europe: conducted workshops and advised the boards of directors of environmental NGOs in Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia. The work was financed by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation (May – June, 1996).

Georgetown University Family Policy Seminar: I gave a talk on fundraising for family-centered nonprofits that were facing the loss of government funding (July 1996).

National Society of Fundraising Executives/Western Pennsylvania Chapter (Pittsburgh, PA): I gave a talk on “Critical Issues in Philanthropy” (April 1996).

George Mason University/Ethics in the Nonprofit Sector Graduate Class: I was a guest speaker on the subject of nonprofit ethics (March 1996).

Youth Service America: I conducted a session on board/staff relations as part of a day-long planning session (July 1995).

Accokeek Foundation, a land trust in Maryland, where I facilitated strategic planning by the board of directors (May 1995).

OPERA America National Conference: I was a panelist on the subject of “Are Arts Organizations An Endangered Species?” (February 1995)

Devereux Foundation, a national network of community mental health centers: conducted a workshop on creating and managing advisory boards for the purpose of strengthening community relations and influence (January 1995).

The National PTA: I conducted governance training for the national board of directors (September 1994).

Fellow, Salzburg Seminar, Session 317 "Role of Nongovernmental Organizations in the Emerging Democracies," Salzburg, Austria, one of 56 Fellows from around the world, including Latin America, Eastern Europe, Africa, Middle East and former Soviet republics; awarded full scholarship from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation (July 1994).

Nonprofit Resource Center (Atlanta, Georgia): I gave the keynote speech at a session on nonprofit accountability sponsored by the Nonprofit Resource Center, Coopers & Lybrand, and the Woodruff Arts Center (March 1994).

Georgetown University/Governance and Management in the Nonprofit Sector Graduate Course: I was a guest speaker on managing the small nonprofit (March 1994).

National Associations of Colorado Springs and Colorado Springs Nonprofit Center of the Chamber Foundation: I gave a talk on legislative, fiscal and ethical challenges facing nonprofit organizations (May 1993).

Accounting Aid Society (Detroit, Michigan), an association of volunteers who provide tax assistance to low-income people: I spoke on the impact of recent nonprofit scandals on public confidence and expectations of nonprofit governing boards (February 1993).

Wingspread Conferences at the Johnson Foundation (Racine, Wisconsin), by-invitation-only meetings to work on policy and strategy: I was selected for three of these conferences with 20 to 30 individuals from national and local nonprofits, foundations, and state and municipal governments. Our deliberations resulted in these reports:

Nonprofits and Civic Engagement (May, 1997), Women and Philanthropy: A National Agenda (October, 1992), and The Nonprofit Policy Agenda: Recommendations for State and Local Action (September, 1991).

Council of Better Business Bureaus: I participated on a panel discussing executive compensation in nonprofit, charitable organizations (May 1992).

Women in Leadership Seminar, Institute of Politics, Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government (June 1988).

National Institute on Women's History, selected from a national competition to be one of 45 emerging women leaders for a three-week institute, sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution, Sarah Lawrence College and the Lilly Endowment; awarded a scholarship for all expenses (Summer 1979).