A seasoned and accomplished nonprofit and philanthropic sector leader and strategist, Nancy Berglass’ career is defined by the award-winning design and management of high impact organizations and initiatives that pair social and cultural impact missions, with the funding, capacity building, partnership, and community engagement resources needed to meet their greatest potential. She is valued for a visionary and inspirational leadership style marked by creativity, collaboration, inclusion, and competence; strategic planning acumen that yields shared equities and measurable outcomes; intellectual curiosity and a zest for shared learning; a compelling and comprehensive command of communications with both internal and external stakeholders; and a deeply held belief in and advocacy for the transformative role of cross sector partnerships, creative practice, and stakeholder engagement in a just society.
While diverse in scope and content, Nancy’s leadership experiences demonstrate what is possible when nonprofit and philanthropic organizations partner strategically with community stakeholders, across any and all fields. As President of the NAMES Project Foundation/AIDS Memorial Quilt at the height of the American AIDS pandemic, Nancy led the organization to become one of the world’s largest health funders, leveraged the growth model internationally and, by securing unprecedented funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, positioned an iconic public health resource to become the nation’s most significant work of public art. As Executive Director of the family foundation of one of the world’s most prominent tech entrepreneurs, Nancy oversaw a pioneering design collaboration between students, educators and the international design firm IDEO to transform the public school lunch experience, while building what would become one of the modern era’s most important philanthropic institutions. As Executive Director of a grassroots touring theater, Nancy grew the budget 300%, built and managed a company of 40, and designed award-winning diversification models for the artistic company and community partners alike. Nancy also brought award-winning design, transformational leadership and unprecedented leverage to the $275 million Iraq Afghanistan Deployment Impact Fund, a groundbreaking philanthropy that addressed the impact of post-9/11 conflict upon American communities, informed significant policy and systems change, and positioned Nancy as a leading content expert at the crossroads of civilian and military life. Through her consulting practice, Nancy has brought her enthusiasm, creativity and collaborative approach to the design, management and evaluation of social impact programs and initiatives, to over 100 philanthropic, nonprofit, business and public entities addressing issues from public health to veterans’ affairs, from the arts to education, and from immigrant rights to civic engagement. Her understanding of effective social practice is comprehensive; her passion for its role in just society, inspired. Nancy has served in a number of advisory, fellowship and volunteer leadership positions. She was an advisor to the 2008 US Presidential Transition Team, was awarded the US Department of Defense’s Distinguished Civilian Humanitarian Award, the Council on Foundation’s Award for Critical Impact in Grantmaking, and the UC Distinguished Social Science Alumni Award. She is a Senior Fellow at DC’s Center for a New American Security, where her oft-cited publications are considered highly influential. An awardee of the prestigious Kellogg National Leadership Fellowship, Nancy spent several years working with NGOs worldwide to create community-engaged design solutions to local challenges. She has chaired the Board of Social Science Councilors for UC Santa Cruz, is an advisor to Company of Angels Theater, and served as a corporate director of media company We Are The Mighty. Nancy played a leadership role in the 100% Clean Energy Fund of The Solutions Project, LA Arts Loan Fund, the LA Community AIDS Partnership, Grantmakers in the Arts, the national Harm Reduction Coalition, and several other efforts that have forged collaborative success between funders and community stakeholders. She is a highly-engaged, effective, discreet and thoughtful professional whose deep commitment to excellence in cross-sector partnerships bespeaks a genuine belief in the power of social practice to improve the human condition. Nancy graduated with Highest Honors, College Honors, Scholarly Distinction and the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence from UC Santa Cruz, and has pursued graduate education at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and at the Southern California Institute for Architecture. A speaker of Spanish and enthusiast of language in general, Nancy is an avid traveler with a thirst for new experiences and lifelong learning.