Recent changes at Funders Together have us all on staff feeling both excited and bittersweet!

Thank you!

It is bittersweet for us to announce that Jennifer Olney, our Director of Networks and Programs, will be leaving us this August. We are so grateful for her time at FTEH and the legacy she leaves at both the organization and in the field. During her tenure, Jennifer has developed, facilitated, and grown our Communities of Practice, including Foundations for Youth Success and Foundations for Employment and Housing. In addition, she has been instrumental in planning our in-person programming including our annual Funders Institute and Funders Forum as well as in providing funder networks across the country with programming, technical assistance, and support as they work together to end homelessness. We are truly appreciative of all the dedicated work she has given this organization and its members over the past 3 years. Join us in wishing her luck in her new endeavor!

Welcome!

We are so excited to introduce you to our two newest members of the Funders Together team! 

Tabitha Blackwell, incoming Director of Networks and Programs

Tabitha is coming on board as the Director of Networks and Programs. She oversees engagement with Funders Together regional affiliates, funder collaboratives, communities of practice, issue-based networks, and Funders Together events. Previously, Tabitha acted as the inaugural Executive Director of Youth Forward in Chapel Hill, NC where she spent the last five years working with funders to take their vision for a better community to scale and worked to help them collectively provide funding, trainings, and technical assistance to organizations on the ground working directly with youth. Prior to Youth Forward, Tabitha developed work study, internship, and service learning partnerships with colleges and university as an East Coast Outreach Manager at Reading Partners. She also acted as a National Volunteer Specialist at Goodwill Industries International where she built organizational capacity by developing a structure volunteer program. She has 15 years of experience in the nonprofit sector as well as managing relationships with nonprofit, college, government, and corporate partners. Tabitha believes that building healthy nonprofits helps create strong communities. This belief is echoed in her work every day. 

Lauren Samblanet, Membership and Program Coordinator

Lauren is responsible for Membership and Program Coordination for Funders Together. Prior to Funders Together, Lauren gained administration and coordination experience at a variety of non-profits. Most recently, she worked in administration and website maintenance at her local YWCA. She has a Master of Fine Arts in Poetry from Temple University and a Bachelors in Creative Writing from University of Colorado. She is passionate about intersectional feminism, social justice, and the power of language and communications as a means of community building and solidarity. She is an avid reader, movie watcher, chef, and hiker. She enjoys spending time with her friends and cat, Pascal.

We hope you’ll join us at our 2018 Funders Institute, July 23-25 in Washington, D.C. to say hello and meet Tabitha and Lauren, as well as say goodbye to Jennifer and thank her for all her hard work!