The Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society at The Graduate Center of The City University of New York (New York City) is pleased to welcome five International Fellows to our professional development program. The Fellows bring a depth of practical and theoretical knowledge on philanthropy and a variety of perspectives to the program. In addition to research and writing, Fellows will participate in seminars on US and international civil society and voluntary-sector activities; learn about the work of key agencies; and meet with leading nonprofit representatives and scholars.
The 2017 Fellows join an alumni network of scholar-practitioners in from the globe. They bring the number of program participants to 202 from 64 countries.
MYRNA GIMENA CACHO , PHILIPPINES • FEDERICA CORDA, ITALY • RŪTA DIMANTA, LATVIA • SHANI HOROWITZ-ROZEN, ISRAEL • MARIANE MAIER NUNES, BRAZIL
Myrna Gimena Cacho | New York, USA & Manila, PHILIPPINES
Consultant, Migrant Heritage Commission; Fairfax, Virginia
Founder, Kaugnay Women’s Giving Circle, in progress; NY, NJ, CT tristate area
Research Focus: Giving circles and other community giving practices
“I am excited to be back at CPCS after participating in the inaugural cohort of International Fellows. After 35 years of professional experience in international development, my current postdoctoral studies will deepen my expertise and skill in responding to issues facing the Filipino American immigrants.”
Federica Corda | Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, Piedmont, ITALY
Director, Fondazione Comunitaria del VCO; North Italy
Research Focus: Capacity building among NGOs and non-profits (the “Third Sector”) and increasing civic engagement to improve quality of life
“The world might not yet be fully open to digital revolution, but by increasing technological knowledge and developing coding skills, both the Third Sector and the citizenry will be key players in solving community needs.”
Rūta Dimanta | Riga, LATVIA
Executive Director & Founder, Ziedot Foundation; Riga
Research Focus: Philanthropic organizational challenges in the digital era
“There was practically no tradition of charity in Latvia before the Ziedot Foundation. But since Ziedot has been active, people have begun to understand that giving can help solve some of the problems Latvians face. In the digital era, Ziedot will need to change the way we fundraise and interact with donors.”
Shani Horowitz-Rozen | New Jersey, USA & Kfar Saba, ISRAEL
Media Consultant for non-profits
Research Focus: How do journalists and news organizations cover philanthropy?
“In democratic societies, the media shape public perception and affect the public’s willingness to donate and volunteer. For philanthropy to be effective, you need more than resources and money: you need strategy; you need to harness the goodwill of the public – with mass media’s help.”
Mariane Maier Nunes | Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, BRAZIL
Executive Director, Instituto Comunitário Grande Florianópolis (ICOM); Florianópolis
Research Focus: New narratives for strengthening community philanthropy
“How can community foundations better share the value we add to increase community participation? We need to improve our narratives to boost local community engagement. I am motivated to see a vibrant philanthropic sector that leads to good local development outcomes.”