Vanessa Kirsch

Board Memberships: Tisch College at Tufts, College Summit Recent Activity: Oversaw $10.7 million in donations to charities in 2011 When you’re donating a sum with a bunch of zeroes, it helps to know how well the money will be spent. Enter Kirsch. Her New Profit organization acts as an investment manager for philanthropic portfolios, using data-driven analysis to weigh a nonprofit’s effectiveness, and providing the guidance and oversight to ensure that donated funds are used efficiently. It’s quickly become a national model for venture philanthropy firms. Vanessa lives in Brookline, Massachusetts with her husband, Alan Khazei,and their two children. Alan is the Co-Founder of City Year and CEO & Founder of Be The Change, Inc., In 2014, Vanessa and Alan were named by FORTUNE Magazine and CNNMoney to their list of “World’s Greatest Leaders: 9 Dynamic Duos” alongside some of the most powerful figures in politics, media, philanthropy, and business. Vanessa is a graduate of Tufts University, where she served as a TCU Senator and a student member on the Board of Trustees. She has also served on the Tufts Alumni Council. Currently, Vanessa serves on the Board of Advocates to Tufts University's Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service, and on the boards of College Summit, Eye to Eye, and The Mission Continues.