Elliot Berger

Elliot Berger joined Arabella in April 2013 as a managing director in New York City. Elliot has worked for over 25 years in leadership roles to address the needs of philanthropists and nonprofits. His work focuses on the New York region and leading the team of specialists at Arabella to build customized plans for clients that integrate and maximize all aspects of their charitable assets, including grants, investments, relationships, and time. He is currently overseeing a retrospective impact evaluation of a billion-dollar institutional foundation’s multi-stakeholder international programs. Elliot has extensive experience working with high-net-worth families to address the legacy of wealth, increase the impact of their giving, and pass on their values across multiple generations. In addition to next-generation preparation, Elliot’s expertise enables him to provide advice on strategy, foundation management and governance, impact investing, venture philanthropy, and project execution. Elliot has also helped clients launch and implement global programs around social entrepreneurship. Prior to joining Arabella, Elliot held several positions over fourteen years with the Merrill Lynch Private Client Group. As a wealth advisor, he worked closely with ultra-high-net-worth clients to ensure that their investments generated social returns and aligned with their philanthropic goals. He also served as the firm’s director of strategic philanthropy, managing a platform of 3,000 foundation clients and training trust specialists and philanthropic consultants. In his time at Merrill Lynch, Elliot helped clients establish foundations and public charities, created leveraged grant strategies, and prepared next-generation family members to continue their family’s mission. Elliot has spoken at national conferences, helping donors and advisors better understand the range of philanthropic tools available to them. He is a visiting lecturer at NYU’s Center for Philanthropy and has served on numerous boards and committees, including the Growth Philanthropy Network, Community Health Charities – Northeast, the International Center for the Study of Radicalization, the United Jewish Federation of Princeton, and the New Jersey Explorers Division of the Boy Scouts of America. He is also a founding member of the task team on resource mobilization for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. Elliot graduated with honors from Rutgers College and earned his MBA from Rutgers University.