Second California location extends activities of thriving San Francisco office and expands team of professionals serving California donors
Los Angeles, September 27, 2007 – In a move that will address the growing demand from donors in the greater Southern California area for expert guidance on giving matters, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors has announced the opening of a Los Angeles office. This expansion builds on the establishment of a San Francisco office in 2004, which has served donors throughout the West Coast, and brings to 27 the number of philanthropy professionals available to donors through Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, the largest independent nonprofit advisory service of its kind.
“Interest in philanthropy continues to grow in the Southern California area and we have had the privilege to work with numerous foundations, individuals and corporations in the region through our San Francisco office,” said Melissa A. Berman, President and CEO of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, which is headquartered in New York City. “Our mission is to help donors – no matter where they are located – put more thoughtful strategic dollars into communities. With a fully staffed dedicated Los Angeles location we believe we can bring the most value and support to philanthropists from Santa Barbara to San Diego.”
“This region is home to a vibrant nonprofit community and donors who have a pioneering spirit as well as the desire and ability to address the global “big picture” and critical local issues at the same time,” said Judy Belk, a senior vice president of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, who leads all West Coast activities. “That’s a wonderful combination, and our team looks forward to deeper involvement with donors in the dynamic Southern California area through direct relationships, in partnership with wealth and legal advisors, and as we assist nonprofit and academic institutions in initiatives to educate donors more broadly.”
Ms. Belk has more than 20 years of experience in strategic philanthropy, community relations, corporate citizenship and non-profit management. Before joining Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, she served as vice president of global public affairs for Levi Strauss & Co. During her tenure at the company, Ms. Belk also led the Levi Strauss Foundation, with assets totaling over $120 million. Under her direction, the foundation and company developed a global reputation for international work in the fight against AIDS, economic development, and anti-racism initiatives. She currently serves on the boards of the Southern California Association of Grantmakers, the Ms. Foundation for Women, and the Marlborough School, and was until recently a board member for The Berkeley Repertory Theatre. Ms. Belk, who holds a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University and master’s degree from California State University, East Bay, has written and lectured extensively on organizational ethics, race, and social change.
Ms. Belk is joined in Los Angeles by philanthropic advisor Melissa Downey, who was most recently a Donor Engagement Officer for Silicon Valley Community Foundation, where she managed a portfolio of 150 donor advisors providing grantmaking, research, due diligence and site visits. During her tenure at the foundation, Ms. Downey held a range of positions in the program, marketing and communications and strategic planning areas. She has had direct experience supporting a diverse portfolio of donors including developing and managing a $1 million arts initiative and the foundation’s Neighborhood Grants Program. Ms. Downey also worked in Los Angeles providing support to the Barbra Streisand Foundation and Steven Spielberg’s Righteous Persons Foundation. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Kimberly Myers Hewlett will provide overall administrative support to the office, joining Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors with a strong track record in administration and management operations and a deep personal and family interest in philanthropy. Previously, Ms. Hewlett served as Alumni Relations Director for the Stanford University Medical School and held various administrative and project management positions throughout the private sector. She is an alumna of The Philanthropy Workshop West Program, a well respected “boot camp” for emerging philanthropists. Ms. Hewlett is actively involved in her families’ foundations and is a member of the Global Philanthropy Circle, sponsored by the Synergos Institute. She is a graduate of Stanford University.
Ms. Belk and her Los Angeles-based team will work closely with Rae Richman and Erica Sanchez in the San Francisco office as well as other New York-based professionals, all of whom have extensive experience in a broad cross section of global philanthropic issues, including the environment, education, healthcare, community development and the arts.
The new office is located at 6300 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 820, Los Angeles, CA 90048 (213) 226-0250, email info@rockpa.org.
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About Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors
Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors is an independent, nonprofit service that develops and manages effective giving programs for individuals, families, foundations and trusts. In 2006, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors advised on more than 130 million in giving in 30 countries. Headquartered in New York City, it traces its antecedents to John D. Rockefeller, Sr., who in 1891 began to professionally manage philanthropy “as if it were a business.” He set the style of family giving by specifying that grants would be used “for the well-being of people throughout the world.” Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors also includes The Philanthropic Collaborative, a special donor-advised fund vehicle managed solely as a service to clients.