Get to Know the New Leader of the Nation’s Largest Philanthropic Network
by Michael Hamill Remaley, SVP, Public Policy & CommunicationsYesterday, the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers announced that they have tapped David Biemesderfer as CEO to advance its new strategic direction.
Biemesderfer is currently president and CEO of Florida Philanthropic Network, one of our sister regional associations. He joined FPN in 2009 and under his leadership, FPN’s membership has grown sevenfold, its budget has grown fourfold and its statewide presence has increased significantly. He has served on the Forum’s board for the past six years, and is the board’s immediate past chair. He’s exceptionally well-qualified and steps into the position ready to lead.
I can say this because I know and love him: Biemesderfer’s appointment is not the big news here.
The important news is that the nation’s largest philanthropic network has chosen a leader who will guide the Forum and its members – and that includes all of you – into a more collaborative, connected, and smart next phase.
The Forum is the largest network serving philanthropy in America, consisting of 33 regional associations with more than 5,500 participating organizations. The network of regional staff alone is comprised of over 245 professionals serving a vast array of foundations in every region of the United States. If you like the work that Philanthropy New York does, know that there are 32 other regional associations out there doing amazing things to bring together funders to maximize their impact.
The Forum’s next opportunity is not just to build on its own strength, but to embrace the strengths of the many other partner organizations spanning the philanthropic infrastructure environment and deepen collaboration between all of them for the greater good of philanthropy.
The Forum envisions broadening our network to bring together the Forum’s assets with those of national philanthropy-serving organizations—especially national issue-based, identity-based and practice-based affinity groups.
As Ronna Brown wrote in her column following the Forum conference last July, the Forum is already taking the lead in bringing together a vast array of philanthropic infrastructure organizations and national affinity groups to plan joint programming and other activities that lead to deeper collaboration.
You may have noticed an increase in the number of Philanthropy New York programs that are presented in partnerships with such organizations. The Forum’s new vision is beginning to happen, but requires a leader who can ensure that it does.
Get to know Dave Biemesderfer. He’s the leader who will be helping every regional association and countless national groups make the most of this network, which gets stronger every day.
He’s also a great guy to grab a beer with, so there’s that, too.