“Meet the Funders” offers a unique opportunity to engage directly with local philanthropists and grant makers. Gain valuable insights into their funding priorities, learn what they look for in successful proposals, and discover new opportunities for your organization. This session is your chance to learn how to build relationships with key funders and enhance your fundraising strategies.
Session I (b): 10:15 am to 11:15 am
Speakers
Annmarie Benedict Pagliano
Associate Program Officer at RIZE Massachusetts FoundationAt RIZE Massachusetts Foundation, Annmarie manages grantmaking and programmatic activities spanning RIZE’s diverse portfolios. A skilled philanthropy professional, she has worked with Disability Rights Fund, Tides Foundation and The Atlantic Philanthropies – where she spent over a decade leading grant programs seeking criminal justice reform and protecting human rights.
Annmarie was also part of the team at Social Change Initiative in Belfast, Northern Ireland where she designed and directed a multimillion-dollar grantmaking program to enhance communications capacity of NGOs welcoming migrants across Europe.
Hallmarks of her work are uniting diverse stakeholders around common goals and forging partnerships across sectors.
Annmarie holds a BA from Middlebury College and an MFA from The New School in NYC. Before embracing philanthropy, she was a performing artist and teacher.
Megan MacDavey
Program Officer at the Peter & Elizabeth Tower FoundationMegan works as a program officer at the Peter & Elizabeth Tower Foundation where she brings her background in nonprofit programming, management, and fundraising to her role. Megan is passionate about incorporating the perspectives and feedback of grant partners and young people into the Foundation’s work. This includes supporting a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Learning Network and a participatory grantmaking initiative that places young people with lived experiences in decision making roles.
Megan received her MS in Social Administration with a focus on community development from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and a BA in sociology from the State University of New York College at Geneseo. Megan lives in Buffalo with her husband and their two children. Hiking, gardening, and camping rank high on her list of favorite things.