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"The value of the Harmony Initiative is beyond words. Our facilitators expertly created a space that allowed us to bring our best selves, go deep and be vulnerable together while holding each other accountable." - Sara Dronkers, Director of Grantmaking and Nonprofit Resources, Humboldt Area Foundation
Harmony Initiative

A Leadership Program & Community of Practice for Grantmakers to Advance a Thriving & Just World

The Harmony Initiative equips grantmakers with the community, skills, and resources to transform philanthropy into a force for equity and social justice. Inherent to this is building the capacity of grantmakers as funder organizers to advance a Just Transition for the field. Through a combination of retreats and peer groups, participants solidify a vision for their leadership and the field, strengthen their grantmaking practice, and build deep relationships with peers.

Check out the Program Overview for the latest information on the upcoming program calendar, pricing, and retreat schedule. Applications for Harmony Initiative 2023-2024 close on May 1, 2023 at 9am Pacific.

For those interested...

Harmony’s curriculum is grounded in Resonance, a framework for philanthropic transformation.

Participants examine transformation on three levels:

Personal: To lead effectively, Harmony engages grantmakers in the “inner work” of understanding their personal beliefs, values, and purpose. Through a series of creative frameworks, practitioners consider topics such as power, vision, resilience, and more.

Interpersonal: Building on this, participants identify opportunities to seed transformation in their teams, organizations, and their relationships with communities.  Harmony introduces grantmakers to strategies and resources for power mapping, conflict literacy, negotiation, and culture transformation. During retreats, participants serve as partners and coaches to one another, as they experiment with a variety of tools.

Collective: Lastly, the cohort looks at philanthropy as a field and system. Together, the group reflects on the history of philanthropy and its present day implications; maps a new vision for the field in which communities lead and thrive; and co-create frameworks to incrementally shift the system from within. As part of this, grantmakers learn about movement building, funder organizing, and systems change.

Fill out an interest form to stay in the loop for Harmony Initiative opportunities.

Artwork by Taslim van Hattum. This illustration includes depictions of the Harmony 8 Cohort and the kinds of conversations they are having in regards to building the future of philanthropy.

FAQs About Harmony Initiative

What are the components of the program?

  • 4 Retreats – Includes a mix of proven frameworks, customized sessions, and space for discovery and experimentation with trusted peers
  • 4 Peer Group Meetings – Organized by participant role/level)

As a small, cohort based program, 100% active participation is required. To enable participation from grantmaking institutions of all sizes, tuition fees are determined by annual organizational grantmaking budget.

Who Participates in Harmony?

Since 2015, 160+ grantmakers from 70+ institutions have participated in Harmony.

Our next cohort will include:

  • Corporate, community, family, and private foundations; grantmaking intermediaries; and philanthropic serving organizations.
  • Majority BIPOC (80% or more)
  • Program or grantmaking roles
    • 80% – Program Officer, Senior Program Officer, Program Director, Vice-President, Executive Director
    • 20% Program Associate, Senior Program Associate

What Will I Gain?

Through the program, 100% of Harmony participants have been able to make at least one change to make their grantmaking more equitable.

  • Clarity of vision for your work
  • Strategy and skills to strengthen your grantmaking practice
  • Strong relationships with diverse cohort of peers
  • Tools and support to design and pilot a change initiative within your institution/field
  • Invitation to join Harmony alumni community, upon completion

What Makes Harmony Unique?

The program is designed by and for grantmakers:

  • Dynamic curriculum helps participants create strategies for long-term transformation, while identifying steps for immediate action
  • Trained facilitators with diverse backgrounds in philanthropy, community organizing, strategy planning, organizational change, performance art, and more
  • We use adult learning theory and experience-design to create engaging sessions that maximize learning, relationship building, and innovation
"The Harmony Initiative allows us to translate our hopes and intentions into a reality that is more cogent and effective for the field and for movements advancing systemic social change." - David Moy, Senior Program Officer, The Hyams Foundation

Harmony Cohorts

Harmony Initiative Class of 2022-2023

Ashley Crawford-Starck
Program Officer Black-led Movement Fund, Borealis Philanthropy

Blanch Vance
Grants Manager, Grove Action Fund and Grove Foundation

Cairo Mendes
Director of State and Local Programs, Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees

Cecilia Sáenz Becerra
Liberation Fund and Special Projects Lead Program Officer, Groundswell Fund

Cheng Ung
Program Officer, The James Irvine Foundation

Daniel Oviedo
Grants Associate, The Stupski Foundation

Diana Lu
Director, Knight-Len fest Local News Transformation Fund

Jasmine Benjamin
Program Associate, The Hyams Foundation
Jelissa Parham, Senior Program Associate, J.P. Morgan Chase Foundation

Jelissa Parham
Senior Program Associate, J.P. Morgan Chase Foundation

Jessica Nguyen
Program Associate, Racial Equity in Journalism Fund, Borealis Philanthropy

Joanna Visser Adjoian
Senior Program Officer, Social Justice, Spring Point Partners

Kylie Flanagan
Executive Director, Manzanita Foundation

La Roux Pendleton
Bay Area Health Program Officer, The Stupski Foundation

leigh gaymon-jones
Movement Partnerships and Grantmaking Practioner – Black Liberation Pooled Fund, Solidaire Network

Meha Davé
Director, Arabella Advisors

Melissa Hamilton
Program Director, The Leeway Foundation
Neha Rayamajhi, Racial and Economic Justice Fund, Episcopal City Mission

Neha Rayamajhi
Racial and Economic Justice Fund, Episcopal City Mission

Nikki Brown-Booker
Program Officer, Disability Inclusion Fund, Borealis Philanthropy

Renee Catacalos
Vice President, Strategy and Impact, Sustainable Agriculture and Food System Funders

Tim Murphy
Vibrant and Equitable Communities and Program Alignment, The McKnight Foundation

tomás uriostegui
Program Associate, Julian Grace Foundation

Tuquan Harrison
Program Officer, The James Irvine Foundation

Harmony Initiative Class of 2021-2022

Alison Grubbs
Program Director, New Pluralists

Amanda Solter
Program Officer, Rights and Governance, CS Fund

An Nguyen
Program Manager, Office of CEO Programs & Special Projects

Britt Savage
Consultant, Bridgespan

Fela Thomas
Senior Program Officer, People, The San Francisco Foundation

Gina Jackson
Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Return to the Heart Foundation

Guadalupe Pimental Solano
Opportunity, Equity and Inclusion Senior Officer, Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF)

Hilde Steffey
Director, Food and Farm Communications Fund

Jaime Colling
Philanthropy Program Specialist, REI Co-op

Jared Naimark
Program Associate, Emerging Strategies, The 11th Hour Project/The Schmidt Family Foundation

Jodi Ravel
Program Officer, CARESTAR Foundation

Jose Santacruz
Senior Program Associate, Criminal Justice Initiatives, Borealis Philanthropy

Joshua Delfin
Program Officer, Common Counsel Foundation

Kevin Douglas
Director of National Programs, Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees

Nahir Torres
Senior Program Officer, The Hyams Foundation

Nuala Cabral
Program Officer, Independence Public Media Foundation

Shannon-Patrice Small
Senior Program Associate, Energy Optimization, Energy Foundation

Shayla Robinson
Senior Program Associate, Disability Inclusion Fund, Borealis Philanthropy

Sherella Williams
Office and Grants Manager, Vice Chair of the Gender Justice Fund, Independence Public Media Foundation, Gender Justice Fund

Sherese Ward
Portfolio Director, K12 Education, Michael & Susan Dell Foundation

Sonja Uwimana
Program Officer, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation

Theresa Jackson
Manager, The Sybert Foundation

Theresa Chen
Senior Director, Evaluation & Learning, Skoll Foundation

Tiffany “Ti” Wihelm
Program Officer/Operations, Opportunity Fund

Harmony International Class of 2020 – 2021

Bia’ni Madsa’ Juarez Lopez
Manager, Keepers of the Earth Fund, Cultural Survival

Blia Moua
Program Officer, SH Cowell Foundation

Christen Lee
Grants Manager, Common Counsel Foundation

Cristina Yoon
Senior Director, Grants Management, Skoll Foundation

Curtis Yancy
Associate, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative

Djaka Blais-Amare
Community Grants Associate, Calgary Foundation

Emmanuel Otoo
Program Officer, Wellspring Philanthropic Fund

Gina Peralta
Program Officer, Heising-Simons Foundation

Huong Nguyen-Yap
Director of Community Investment, Women’s Foundation California

Ingrid Wasylyshen
Grants Associate, Calgary Foundation

Jennifer Angarita
Senior Program Officer, Funders for Housing and Opportunity

Jennifer Herrera
Grants Associate, The Libra Foundation

Jonathan Jayes-Green
Vice President of Programs, Marguerite Casey Foundation

Kathleen Maloney
Executive Director, Irene S. Scully Family Foundation

Malavika Sahai
Communications Program Manager, Environmental Grantmakers Association

Malila Becton-Consuegra
Program Officer, Stupski Foundation

Mary Turnipseed
Program Officer, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation

Nichelle Brunner
Program Associate, Transforming Movements Fund, Borealis Philanthropy

Rebecca Van Sickle
Managing Partner, 1892 consulting

Sara Campos
Senior Program Officer, Grove Foundation

Sarah Zlotnik
Senior Program Officer, Stoneleigh Foundation

Sheila Bapat
Program Officer, RISE Together Fund, Proteus Fund

Stephanie Lerner

Tanuja Dehne
President and CEO, Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation

Harmony West Class of 2019 – 2020

Alejandra Martinez
Program Officer, Borealis Philanthropy

Allison Domicone
Program Officer, Hirsch Philanthropy Advisors

Amy Silva
Strategic Learning & Evaluation Fellow, The San Francisco Foundation

Andrea Granda
Senior Strategic Advisor, Tides Advocacy

Athena Youm
Program Assistant – IDPI & DEI, Raikes Foundation

Cindy Alvarado
Evaluation & Impact Program Officer, The Simmons Foundation

Daniel Lau
Manager – Programs and Events, Northern California Grantmakers

David Pontecorvo 
Director of Grantmaking Systems, Evaluation and Learning, East Bay Community Foundation

Debrah Giles
Senior Program Officer, East Bay Community Foundation

Grecia Ayon
Place Pathway Fellow, The San Francisco Foundation

Haewon Asfaw
People Pathway Fellow, The San Francisco Foundation

Jennie Goldfarb
Independent Consultant, Currently supporting Libra Foundation and Latino Community Foundation

Jennifer Agmi 
Senior Program Officer, Libra Foundation

Joanna Kabat 
Director of Grantmaking and Capacity Building, Liberty Hill Foundation

Joshua Lee
Power Pathway Fellow, The San Francisco Foundation

Kelly Kent 
Senior Program Officer – Elders, May and Stanley Smith Charitable Trust

Leah Laxamana 
Program Associate, Walter & Elise Haas Fund

Marselle Alexander-Ozinskas
Senior Program Officer, S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation

Melanie Jiménez
Program Associate, The San Francisco Foundation

Paula Ambrose 
Program Officer, Kenneth Rainin Foundation

Peggy Chang
Program Associate, Heising-Simons Foundation

Sandy Tesch Wilkins
Senior Manager – Investments, Humanity United

Harmony East Class of 2019 – 2020

Alisha Williams
Program Officer – Social Justice Program, Arcus Foundation

Bart Westdijk
Director of Operations, New England Grassroots Environment Fund

Ellen Wang
Program Officer, Nellie Mae Education Foundation

Hehershe Busuego
Program Officer, Essex County Community Foundation

Jalisa Whitley
Program Officer, The Beckner Advancement Fund

Jessica Debrah
Program Associate/ Victoria Foundation Fellow, Victoria Foundation

Kendra Hicks
Director of Radical Philanthropy, Resist Foundation

Maria Mulkeen
Program Officer, The Hyams Foundation

Maya Graham
Program Manager, Funders’ Committee for Civic Participation

Natalia Caruso
Director of Grantmaking and Partnerships, MADRE

Sergio Marin Luna
Program Officer, The Hyams Foundation

Shanell Ransom
Grants & Operations Manager, Samuel S. Fels Fund

Stephanie Greenwood
Senior Program Officer, Victoria Foundation

Tara Huffman
Director, Criminal and Juvenile Justice Program, Open Society Institute-Baltimore

Harmony West Class of 2018-2019

Ain Bailey
Associate Initiative Officer – Great Communities Collaborative, The San Francisco Foundation

Aldita Gallardo
Program Associate, Borealis Philanthropy

Alicia Harris
Program Officer, Grove Foundation

Angie Chen
Senior Program Officer, The Libra Foundation

Bailey Malone
Executive Director, CS Fund

Cecilia Chen
Policy Director, Northern California Grantmakers

David Kim
Program Associate, The San Francisco Foundation

Demitrius Burnett
Program Officer, The San Francisco Foundation

Janeen Mendoza Cruz
Education Program Officer, Tipping Point Community

Jasmine Jones
Executive Director, West Contra Costa Public Education Fund

Kana Hammon
Product Manager, Tech & Society Solutions Lab

Kara Dukakis
Senior Program Officer, Early Childhood, Tipping Point Community

Lindsie Bear
Program Director, Native Cultures Fund, Humboldt Area Foundation

Meaghan Calcari Campbell
Program Officer, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation

Rob Hope
Initiative Officer, Bay Area Workforce Funders Collaborative

Vanessa Camarena-Arredondo
Program Officer, Akonadi Foundation

Harmony West Class of 2017-2018

Sepi Aghdaee
Fellow, The San Francisco Foundation

Ashley Clark
Knowledge and Grants Manager, The Libra Foundation

JC De Vera
Fellow, The San Francisco Foundation

Sara Dronkers
Director of Grantmaking, Humboldt Area Foundation

Daisee Francour
Fellow and Bay Area Program Officer, The Christensen Fund

Annelise Grimm
Program Officer, James Irvine Foundation

Adriana Grino
Program Officer, Kenneth Rainin Foundation

Caitlin Hamood
Program Officer, Chorus Foundation

Fernande Legros
Program Officer, Full Circle Fund

Allistair Mallillin
Program Officer, Common Counsel Foundation

Rena Meyers-Dahlkamp
Program Manager, Conflict Transformation Fund

David Moy
Senior Program Officer, Hyams Foundation

Michelle Myles Chambers
FAITHS Program Manager, The San Francisco Foundation

Maisha Quint
Fellow, The San Francisco Foundation

Jasjit Singh Dhanoa
Fellow, The San Francisco Foundation

Harmony West Class of 2016-2017

Galina Angarova
Program Officer, Swift Foundation

Diana Chao
Program Coordinator, Xelay Foundation

Masha Chernyak
Vice President of Programs and Policy, Latino Community Foundation

Katie Fahey
Program Officer, Kenneth Rainin Foundation

Kailyn FitzGerald
Program Officer, Sobrato Family Foundation

Iris Garcia
Learning and Impact Program Officer, Akonadi Foundation

Heather Masaki
Grants Coordinator, Thousand Currents (formerly IDEX)

Jake Mogan
Program Associate, The 11th Hour Project

Elaine Mui
Grants and Operations Manager, General Service Foundation

Lorraine Ramirez
Program Manager, Neighborhood Funders Group

Jennifer Root
Northern California Political Director, SEIU Local 2015

Jazmin Segura
Fellow, The San Francisco Foundation

Elizabeth Wampler
Initiative Officer, Great Communities Collaborative, The San Francisco Foundation

Cassandra Zawilski
Program Assistant, McKenzie Foundation

Harmony West Class of 2015-2016

Alexandra Desautels
Program Manager, The California Endowment

Bessma Mourad
Program Officer, Skoll Global Threats Fund

Esperanza Tervalon-Garrett
Director of Strategic Partnerships and Initiatives, Groundswell Fund

Jose Carmona
Program Director, The Energy Foundation

Kathryn Gilje
Executive Director, Ceres Trust

Marissa Tirona
Director, Blue Shield Against Violence, Blue Shield of California Foundation

Michael Roberts
Program Manager, The 11th Hour Project

Padmini Parthasarathy
Program Director, The California Wellness Foundation

Shalini Iyer
Director of Programs, Metta Fund

Valeria Velazquez
Program Manager, Neighborhood Funders Group

Zach McRae
Program Associate, The San Francisco Foundation

"We know that the status quo of doing philanthropy as usual will not move the needle for the kinds of impact and change we want to see for our communities. With a brave learning community, we move along a collective journey of understanding how to navigate and leverage our roles in institutions and the larger philanthropic sector to push for more equitable practices in grantmaking." - JC De Vera, Fellow, The San Francisco Foundation