Team News

As we navigate an era of unprecedented change, it’s clear that our members are not just adapting—they are leading the charge in reimagining how we work, how we collaborate and convene, and how to approach giving through principled, equitable grantmaking practices.

In this issue, we share innovative ways our community, staff, and board are coming together to build deep relationships, learn from and support one another, and continue to push one another and the sector to act as a force for good. From harnessing new technology to launching new programs and cohorts, PEAK is striving to become a next-level nonprofit organization in all we do.

I encourage you to welcome new Organization Members to this special community, and cheer on members who have a new role, have been promoted, or have taken action to further their career in philanthropy. (How? Find them on CONNECT and say hello—and explore the streamlined experience of our new association management system, which you’ll learn more about in the pages that follow.) So read on, and celebrate all the ways our vibrant member community contributes to PEAK, the field of grants management, and the philanthropic sector—and how we are reimagining what we can accomplish together.

Sara Richman Sanders (she, her, hers)
Senior Membership and Community Engagement Director

Special thanks to the PEAK Grantmaking team members who collaboratively authored the Community section of the Journal: Vanessa Elkan, Clare Larson, Dionne Thompson, and Rafael Torres.

BOARD AND STAFF NEWS

Reimagining What a Nonprofit Can Be

PEAK staff and board met in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in July to continue evolving how we connect, communicate, and collaborate across the organization. Over several days, staff engaged in activities that focused on deepening relationships and developing a better understanding of everyone’s work, the values system that motivates each of us in our work, and the dynamics that can help navigate conflict. As a fully remote staff located in 14 states, having this annual opportunity to gather as peers and colleagues is essential to building a team so that we can be our best for this growing network. Meanwhile, PEAK’s board began a facilitated racial equity journey designed to equip them to engage in difficult conversations and bring them closer to PEAK’s mission. The team also dedicated time to social connection via morning yoga, trips to Old San Juan, an excursion to El Yunque National Forest, and a celebration dinner complete with karaoke and dancing.

We appreciate the support we received from our meeting planner, Marva Lewis McKnight, MLM Consulting and from our event designers and facilitators, Natasha Harrison, CommunityBuild Ventures; Mia Roberts, FreshPower; Jackie Hanselmann Sergi, Radical Spark Coaching; and Daniel Weinzveg, The Meeting Guru.

Board of Directors Update

On June 1, 2024, six members from the community began their three-year terms on the PEAK board: David Bender, Pinellas Community Foundation; TeQuion Brookins, TeQuion Brookins, LLC; Tanisha Davis, Archstone Foundation; Tara Havlicek, Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation; Sarita Michaca, Tides; and Blanch Vance, The Grove Foundation.

Josh Abel, Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust; Janet Disla, The Nathan Cummings Foundation; and Teresita Maz, Healthy Places by Design, also began their second term. Thank you to the more than 1,100 members who voted to affirm these candidates to the board!

Three members also completed six years of service on the PEAK board: Steven Casey, We Mean Business Coalition; Allison Gister, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation; Tiauna George, Energy Foundation; and Jane Ward, National Park Foundation. We wish Jane, Allison, Steve, and Tiauna well and look forward to their continued engagement in our community as board alums.

We also give special appreciation to the Nominating Committee, an amazing group of emergent leaders and board alumni, for reviewing applications, interviewing candidates, and offering recommendations to the PEAK board for the 2025–2027 board slate. We’d also like to thank cochairs Justine Palacios, Urban Institute, and Miyesha Perry, Kenneth Rainin Foundation; board alums Stephanie Duffy, McKnight Foundation, Kerri Hurley, Barr Foundation, Adam Liebling, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Melanie Matthews, Cedarmere Foundation, Suki O’Kane, Walter & Elise Haas Fund; Danette Peters, Philanthropy.io; Suzanne Shea; Ursula Stewart, Salesforce.org; Patrick Taylor, Sobrato Philanthropies; and Tiffany Wood; and emergent PEAK leaders Kathleen Badejo, The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation; Andrew Brown, American Red Cross Community Adaptation Program; Alexandria Featherston-Gomez, Kenneth Rainin Foundation; La Keisha Leek, MacArthur Foundation; and Irene Williams, The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust.

Meet PEAK’s board of directors

New Tool

We were excited to launch our new association management system this summer, Nimble AMS—based on the Salesforce platform—which was designed to deepen PEAK’s connection with our community and provide a more enriching and streamlined member experience. This investment in technology will ensure that our processes and tools better reflect our values and can support a growing network of members, partners, and friends. It has been wonderful watching our community come back together virtually, thanks to a relatively smooth rollout. We appreciate your support, patience, and understanding as we made this important shift. We will continue building on this investment in technology to enhance how you stay connected to PEAK!