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Marianne Philbin

Executive Director, Pierce Family Foundation

Executive Director, Pierce Family Foundation

Marianne Philbin is the executive director of Pierce Family Foundation and a consultant to foundations and nonprofit organizations, specializing in planning, evaluation, and organizational development. She has more than 25 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, and is a frequent trainer on nonprofit management issues. Prior to establishing her consulting practice, she was Development Director for the Chicago Annenberg Challenge; Executive Director of The Chicago Foundation for Women; and Executive Director of The Peace Museum. In addition to her work with foundation and nonprofit clients, she has served as an instructor for the Donors Forum, annually guiding their Institute for New Grantmakers, and has taught classes as a Lecturer at Northwestern University’s School of Continuing Studies.

She is co-author with Marcia Festen of  LEVEL BEST: How Smaller Organizations Can Tackle Evaluation and Talk Results (Wiley & Sons, 2007); and also How Effective Nonprofits Work: A Guide for Donors, Board Members and Foundation Officers, (Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers, 2002). She is a contributor to Women, Philanthropy and Social Change: Visions for a Just Society (Tufts University Press, August 2005); The Grassroots Fundraising Journal (Chardon Press); and numerous other publications.
Awards include the Beatrice Foundation Award for Excellence in nonprofit management, and the “Changing the Face of Philanthropy Award” from the Women’s Funding Network. Marianne has served on numerous nonprofit boards, including Amnesty International USA, Project Exploration, and the Chicago Global Donors Network; she has also been a member of the Governance Committee for the  Center for Victims of Torture.

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