Services

I partner with philanthropists and nonprofits to maximize impact. This includes: helping donors understand community needs and define focus areas, researching issues and strategic funding opportunities, connecting funders with community groups, and co-designing investments with nonprofit partners. I also manage all parts of the grantmaking process, from soliciting grant requests to monitoring and evaluation.

Recent Clients

The Stupski Foundation

Advised $300M spend-down foundation on strategies for Postsecondary Success and Early Brain Development grants. Collaborated with program team to conduct community needs assessments, drawing on focus groups, interviews, and secondary research. Co-designed grants with nonprofit partners, managed reporting and evaluation, and provided technical assistance. Learn more here.

Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED)

Led an evaluation of CAMFED’s business, financial literacy, and reproductive rights training program for young women in four African countries. Using survey and demographic data, assessed outcomes including financial stability, age of marriage and childbirth, and job creation. See the report here.

Candid

Managed project to develop “Give Lists” of high-quality charities to support effective giving. Conducted market research on high-net-worth donors and landscape scan of donor education resources. Coordinated work of sales and marketing, product development, and leadership teams. Give Lists on mental health and climate change are now featured on the Fidelity Charitable website.

COVID Relief (Anonymous Donor)

Worked with a team to distribute $80M in basic needs assistance (cash, food, PPE) to low-income essential workers and their families, particularly those with young children. Identified national grantee partners to disburse funds, managed grants and reporting, and provided grantee technical assistance.

Select Writing

CAMFED’s Impact in Supporting Young Women’s Livelihoods in Four African Countries

Disrupting Poverty: Coming Together to Build Financial Security for Individuals and Communities (in partnership with the Paul Allen Foundation)

Two Decades of Investment in Substance Use Prevention and Treatment (in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation)

Case Studies: How Four Community Information Projects Went From Idea to Impact (in partnership with the Knight Foundation)

Foundations Should Step Up as Obama Steps In

Mobilizing Resources for the Human Rights of LBGTQ+ People: Challenges and Opportunities (in partnership with the Arcus Foundation)

About Me

I have been working as a philanthropy and nonprofit consultant for 15 years. Much of my work has been focused on health, early childhood, education, and economic development, though I advise philanthropists across dozens of issue areas. I’ve partnered with some of the country’s major foundations and corporations: the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Irvine Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Target, McKesson, the Marin Community Foundation, the Packard Foundation, California Healthcare Foundation, and others. Before launching my own firm, I spent a decade at FSG managing consulting projects and writing about social change. I have a Master of Science in Public Health from Harvard and a Bachelor of Arts in Human Biology from Stanford.

Contact

Amber Binkley: amber@ajbadvisors.com