Earlier this year, The Chronicle put out a call for nonprofit movers and shakers, people flying under the radar yet having a big impact on society’s toughest issues. We weren’t prepared for how many we would find: The individuals profiled here were drawn from a pool of more than 300 nominations.
The people are forward-thinking, and their stories speak of innovation, personal courage, and grit. Collectively, they offer a glimpse of the future of philanthropy.
See more profiles of nonprofit leaders quietly making headway on society’s toughest problems.
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NewsBreaking Down the Color and Gender Barriers of Outdoor Sports
In a Minneapolis city park, Anthony Taylor makes clear that nature and adventure don’t belong just to white men. -
News
Open Your Tent for Supporters Wide, Says Leader of Progressive Group
Groundswell Fund’s Vanessa Daniel believes donors will respond when reproductive rights are linked with other progressive issues. -
News
Tackling Inequality With an Entrepreneur’s Eye
Propeller co-founder Andrea Chen helps nonprofits and small ventures grow and take on tough problems. -
News
A First-Generation College Grad Helps Others Get Their Degrees
Dartmouth alumna Alexandra Bernadotte builds support networks for students who might struggle with academics or campus life. -
News
Pressing Foundations to Fight Opioid Abuse
Claire Fiddian-Green of the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation is rallying fellow grant makers to tackle the epidemic. -
News
How One Group Crafts Data-Smart Solutions on Land Use
Ray Rasker and Headwaters Economics are finding answers on issues that often polarize communities. -
News
Ending Poverty, One Family at a Time
Heather Reynolds and Catholic Charities Fort Worth have built an innovative approach that’s showing solid results. -
News
William & Mary Aims to Democratize Its Campaign
Under the prodding of a young development chief, the university targets small gifts, not just big donors. -
Interview
When School Becomes a Refuge
Raised homeless and without his parents, the Nord Family Foundation’s Anthony Richardson is focused on education in Ohio. -
News
Leader Moving From a Small Charity to a Big Foundation Finds a New Voice
Taking over the Denver Foundation after leading a small nonprofit, Christine Marquez-Hudson had to change her style. -
News
Building Bridges Across Faiths
Raised by a Muslim father and Methodist mother, Aziza Hasan now helps people of Jewish and Islamic faith find common ground. -
News
A Very Personal Fight on Mental Health
Matt Kuntz of the National Alliance on Mental Illness talks openly about how depression almost led him to take his life. -
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After 16 Years in Prison, a Massachusetts Man Helps Others Rebuild
Many of the kids who come to YouthBuild have a criminal record. CEO John Valverde can relate. -
News
Winning the Fight to Bring Justice to the Jailhouse
Alec Karakatsanis has filed a barrage of lawsuits to reform a cash-bail system he says discriminates against the poor. And he’s winning. -
News
15 People Changing the Nonprofit World
These nonprofit leaders are finding innovative ways to take on society’s toughest problems.
