Stacy Lee Gardner
Founder & CEO
Hello Friends! I am so delighted you are here. My hope for you is that you find what you need to help your social benefit corporation succeed right here, right now, with My Philanthropy Team.
My professional journey includes nearly three decades as a senior executive and chief development officer with game-changing third-sector organizations and many years as a successful consultant and entrepreneur. During this time, I’ve done everything from developing resources for small, community-based organizations to running transformational capital campaigns, to serving as a Senior Vice President for a large, international health, education, and advocacy organization. At the heart of all of my work is a deep calling to provide a voice, resources, and a road map to those that are working to make positive change in the world. I’ve collaborated with corporate and non-profit CEOs, senior executives, tech innovators, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, artists, and elected officials to transform our social and political landscape. As a philanthropy specialist and ICF certified coach, I am committed to working with individuals and groups at all levels of organizational and personal development to bring the skills and resources necessary for optimal growth and long-term sustainability.
I care deeply about equality and leveling the playing field. I’m progressive by nature, a social justice activist, a California native, and committed to service. I’ve served on many boards and currently serve on the board of directors of the Association of Fundraising Professional Golden Gate Chapter. On a personal note, I am an arts enthusiast and a student of ancient wisdom traditions. My intention is to live a helpful and productive life, and to teach my children to always try do to “the next right thing.” Now, I’d love to hear about YOU!
Jena Hayashi, MPA
Senior Philanthropy Specialist
I am a strategist with more than a decade of experience as a fundraising professional. I am skilled at creating new initiatives, taking projects from concept design to strategy development, and securing the funding necessary for implementation. My experience includes senior leadership roles with KQED Public Media and San Francisco Unified School District, and consulting engagements with multiple Boys and Girls Clubs and private schools.
I have deep experience building and managing multi-million-dollar portfolios of corporate and foundation funders and authoring and designing visually-captivating communication pieces including annual reports, newsletters, and social media content – all designed to demonstrate impact and deepen donor engagement. I am a digital native and, in addition to my writing and communication skills, I am a Certified Salesforce CRM System Administrator. A graduate of Stanford University, I am a member of the Pi Alpha Alpha Honor Society for Public Affairs and Administration, a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals – Golden Gate Chapter, and an active community volunteer.
Brooke Burns
Senior Philanthropy Specialist
Twenty five years ago, I wrote my first grant proposal while working for a child welfare organization in Boston. When that grant was funded, I saw the impact it had on the daily lives of low-income children and families and knew I had found my vocation. Since then, I’ve been fortunate to be part of many dynamic development teams, from small community-based non-profits to Harvard-affiliated research institutes. Over the years, I amassed experience in proposal development and grant writing; copywriting for brochures, newsletters and annual reports; and managing donor stewardship for museums and membership organizations.
Community involvement is an integral part of my professional and personal life. I currently serve as the Board President for my community’s education foundation to enhance the visual and performing arts curriculum in local public schools and am an active volunteer at both of my children’s schools. I’m a Boston University grad, with a degree in Secondary English Education.
Whether I’m working with a group of passionate community organizers, dedicated educators, discerning museum curators or cutting edge oncologists, I feel privileged to be part of a profession that constantly inspires and motivates me. I look forward to working with you and your organization to help you achieve your goals.
Sara Gorsky
Digital Media & Design Specialist
Philanthropy has been baked into my heart & soul from the time I was a little girl. I was lucky enough to be raised by parents who instilled in me the importance of generosity and lifting up those who need a helping hand. The importance of leaving the world a better place than how I found it has never left me. Now, as an adult, my commitment has manifested in a great many relationships with non-profits as a supporter, an administrator, and a marketing professional.
I love my role at MPT, as I get to integrate my deep personal values with my work. My areas of expertise include creating and executing multi-media marketing campaigns, designing high impact websites, creating brand and logo packages, and developing social media, email, and ad campaigns. But don’t worry—I’m also skilled at designing more traditional collateral pieces such as invitations, brochures and annual reports. My experience includes working with a wide variety of clients, including artists, emerging grassroots nonprofits, and large, well-established CBOs. I’m here to help you tell your organization’s unique and powerful story so that you can raise the funds needed to achieve your organization’s mission—and I’m so excited to be doing this with My Philanthropy Team!
Currently, I live in Los Angeles and in additional to my work with My Philanthropy Team, I am honored to serve on the boards of A Cause for Entertainment, a breast cancer research and patient support organization, and Get It Girl, a female filmmaker empowerment organization.
Sheena Link
Senior Philanthropy Specialist
My first fundraising role was over two decades ago in higher education. I ultimately held positions within the University of California and a large K-12 public school district in the Greater Sacramento area. More recent experience includes roles within human services and membership organizations, and managing institutional fundraising for Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento’s only AAM accredited museum.
My expertise is varied and includes capital campaigns, development operations, major gifts, membership and donor-circle fundraising, annual giving programs, and more. For the last several years, I have specialized in institutional fundraising, including grant writing and grant management and have won numerous awards from federal organizations such as the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), state agencies including the California Cultural and Historical Endowment (CCHE), and dozens of private, family-led, and corporate foundations, including financial institutions and health care systems.
As a CliftonStrengths Futurist and Activator and a Myers-Briggs Advocate (INFJ), I bring strategy, systems, and process improvement to all my client relationships. I am well-versed in the principles of program development and administration; data and evaluation; and nonprofit and public accounting and financial management. I value embedding diversity, equity, inclusion, and access into every fundraising effort at every level. I love a good budget, a good survey, and a good logic model.
I received my Bachelor’s degree in English and Comparative Literature (double-major) from UC Santa Barbara, and my Master’s degree in Liberal Arts from CSU Sacramento.
Christine Njoki Kuriah, MPA
Sr. Philanthropy Specialist and Director of Operations
I’m Christine and delighted to tell you a little bit about myself. I am a passionate individual who cares deeply about freedom and democracy, be it here in the US or my native Kenya. For the past two decades, I have partnered with organizations around the globe to bring my fundraising and operations expertise improve the lives and health of people and the environment. Now I’m excited to be a part of My Philanthropy Team so that I can help more great causes do the critical work necessary to change our world for the better.
One could say my “super power” is running smooth and powerful direct response fundraising programs and “back of house” operations. I enjoy developing, monitoring and evaluating annual fundraising programs, managing and coordinating the complexities of reorganizing and restructuring existing systems and operations, program operations and systems management, database administration, data analysis and financial reporting, budget development, reforecasting and cash flow projections, strategic planning, increasing revenue capacity, audit preparation, accreditation compliance and accountability, as well as coaching and supervising both professional and support staff.
I hold a Master of Public Administration degree from California State University, East Bay (summa cum laude), specializing in Public Management and Health Care Administration and a B.Sc. degree in Psychology from Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada.
Martha Henderson
Senior Philanthropy Specialist
I’m a development professional with many years of fundraising leadership in a wide variety of national, statewide, and local public benefit organizations.
My fundraising experience includes capital campaigns, major gifts, annual campaigns, direct marketing, legacy giving, and events. Communications and stewardship that delight the donor are particularly gratifying aspects of organizational development for me. My writing includes direct marketing campaigns, major gift proposals, newsletters, legacy giving materials, and email campaigns.
My expertise extends to the administrative side, as well. I understand budget development, donor databases, personnel management, and non-profit accounting protocols. I have had the great pleasure of managing teams in a collaborative way that support both excellence in organizational advancement as well as individual professional development.
I have led successful advancement efforts for such varied organizations as Sustainable Conservation, California State Parks Foundation, Park Day School, American Red Cross Bay Area Chapter, American Friends Service Committee, and Rosie the Riveter Trust.
I bring an upbeat and calm energy to the workplace, especially valued at organizations experiencing transitions and rapid growth.
Piper Andersen
Philanthropy Associate and Administrative Specialist
I have over 20 years of experience in Nonprofit and Special Event Management, excelling at creative strategy and coordination of projects, events and development and marketing campaigns.
I am a passionate and committed believer in the power that nonprofits have to make the world a better place. In my early career, I served as a Program Director for a variety of child-focused nonprofits, including the Sonoma County Family YMCA, New Zealand YMCA, and the Boys and Girls Clubs of San Francisco. In addition, I have worked as a Hospitality and Special Event Manager for multiple companies throughout the greater Bay Area and as Development and Special Events Director for Jack London Park Partners in Glen Ellen, California. Most recently, I have overseen marketing and special event support for One Drop of Kindness, an organization that focuses on building kindness in schools through book distibution and assemblies. I am a graduate of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo with a Bachelor of Science in Recreation Administration.
Judith Frankel
Senior Philanthropy Specialist
Twenty years ago, I transitioned from corporate marketing to my first position in nonprofit development, overseeing annual giving for a beloved nutrition services provider in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood. Delivering my first meal to an elderly cancer survivor in his single-room home expanded my purpose. Since then, I’ve been activating generous giving communities as a senior advancement leader in a variety of social impact and performing arts organizations, both large and small.
I have been engaged in all areas of development practice, especially around major gift and campaign pipeline development and strategy. As Vice President of Development at San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, I led fundraising, communications and community development teams to exceed annual goals, while also growing capital expansion commitments for a major building campaign. As Deputy Development Director at San Francisco Opera, I helped drive the strategy and vision, and led the teams, to meet funding goals for the second largest opera company in the U.S. This included growing the pool of 6- and 7-figure annual donors, staffing a major campaign feasibility assessment, and expanding the effort around strategic prospect research. I have been instrumental in shifting cultures from a small-gift annual fund orientation to an environment of strategic philanthropic relationship-building. Building the strategy and teams that build durable relationships with generous donors has been my world-changing passion.
It is a privilege to partner with visionary organizations and generous donors working together to lift people beyond struggle, give voice to the silenced, and share broadly the beauty and wisdom of the arts.
