The Pew Charitable Trusts said Wednesday that it has chosen Donna Frisby-Greenwood, a longtime nonprofit and philanthropic executive, to lead its grant-making, programs, policies and research in the Philadelphia region, effective Oct. 3.
Frisby-Greenwood, who will join Pew as vice president for Philadelphia programs, comes to the group after serving as president and chief executive officer of The Fund for the School District of Philadelphia. The fund seeks to coordinate, identify and leverage philanthropic resources for the city’s public schools.
In her role, Frisby-Greenwood will lead Pew’s portfolio of grant making and programming work in the city. In addition, she will be charged with leading discussions on important policy issues in Philadelphia. Frisby-Greenwood will also have responsibility to support the health and welfare of the most vulnerable populations in the region and partner with local groups to encourage a thriving arts and cultural community. She will also work on civic initiatives to strengthen Philadelphia’s appeal for residents and visitors, according to Pew.
In an interview with The Philadelphia Tribune, Frisby-Greenwood said she is excited about the opportunity to join an organization like Pew that has a lot of resources.
“One of the reasons I decided to move on from the work I was doing at the fund for the school district to join the Pew team is because I wanted to impact the community in a broader way,” said Frisby-Greenwood. “One of my goals is to make sure our work around our research, public policy and grant making work are aligned and that they are having an even greater impact than they already do on the families and people in our region.”
Sue Urahn, Pew president and chief executive officer, said: “Donna shares our long-standing commitment to improving people’s lives across the Philadelphia region. She has a passion for creating inclusive opportunities that will strengthen the future of the city and its residents, which will serve to enhance Pew’s work in our hometown.”
Frisby-Greenwood will oversee a budget for all Pew’s Philadelphia programs that has ranged between $30 million and $35 million, a year in the past three years.
That budget includes: the Philadelphia research and policy initiative, which informs discussion on important issues facing the city and provides policymakers with data, analysis, and examples of promising practices that may help them address key challenges.
The organization’s grant-making programs, include The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, which supports arts and culture groups, artists, and projects; The Pew Fund for Health and Human Services, which supports health and social services non-profits; and its Civic Initiatives, which supports projects that make the city and region an attractive place to live, work, and visit.
Previously, Frisby-Greenwood’s non-profit and management experience includes stints as Philadelphia program director for the John S. and James Knight Foundation; executive direct of After-School All-Stars Philadelphia; executive director of Rock the Vote; and a National Urban Fellow at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Currently, she also serves a vice chair and national director of National Urban Fellows, Inc. and secretary and director of the Philanthropy Network Greater Philadelphia and a director of the State System of Higher Education Foundation.
“Pew is highly regarded throughout Philadelphia for its thoughtful engagement in local policy efforts, for partnering with the region’s health and human services organizations to support our most vulnerable residents, and for its contributions to the arts and culture community,” Frisby-Greenwood said.
