Meet Our National Philanthropy Day 2026 Honorees
Leaders whose generosity, creativity, and courage embody this year’s theme: 40 Years of Purpose and Progress
Emerging Fundraising Leader — Brandon Clark
Brandon Clark serves as Manager of Corporate Engagement at St. Anthony Foundation, where he builds partnerships that connect companies, employees, and community members with meaningful opportunities to serve San Francisco’s Tenderloin. His work is grounded in gratitude, dignity, and the belief that philanthropy is strongest when it is relational, inclusive, and informed by lived experience. Brandon’s path to fundraising is deeply personal. After experiencing homelessness and rebuilding his life through recovery, community, and the support of St. Anthony’s, he now works within the organization as a leader. In this role, he helps create pathways for others to experience the same sense of belonging, opportunity, and hope that transformed his own life. Brandon is a graduate of Leadership San Francisco and has been recognized by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors for his service. He is passionate about community, volunteerism, and using storytelling to inspire generosity, connection, and positive lasting change.
Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy — Caroline Peterson
Caroline Peterson is a senior at Convent High School in San Francisco. She was born and raised in San Francisco. Caroline began volunteering with her family at City Hope since she was in 5th grade. She has been involved there ever since. Caroline loves the community that City Hope fosters and is continually amazed by the form of “radical hospitality” embodied there. For the past two summers, Caroline has interned with City Hope’s development team, where she learned about fundraising and the back-office operations of nonprofits. Currently, Caroline is applying to college and is interested in studying psychology. In addition to her work with nonprofits, Caroline loves playing field hockey and has been her school team’s captain for the past two seasons. Most Saturday afternoons, you can find her walking her dog, Howie, through the Presidio and Chrissy Field or hanging out with friends.
The Hank Rosso Outstanding Fundraising Professional — Eliane Fersan, CFRE, Global Nexus Solutions
Elle Fersan is a senior philanthropy executive, systems builder, and donor organizer with more than two decades of leadership across philanthropy, government, and academia. She has led at Tides Network, East Bay Community Foundation, the University of Southern California, and the U.S. Department of State. Throughout her career she raised over $200 million in gifts and cultivated $100 million in new assets under management. Her philosophy is simple: relationships are infrastructure, and the best systems are the ones that let those relationships deepen and endure. Elle now leads Global Nexus Solutions, her philanthropy consulting firm, helping donors expand their philanthropy and organizations deepen their impact. A first-generation Arab American immigrant, multilingual, she is a committed mentor to women of color across the field. Like Hank Rosso, Elle believes fundraising is a noble profession of service — one built by developing the next generation.
Groundswell Award — Armando Zumaya
Armando Zumaya has been in fundraising for over 40 years in a variety of roles that have given him a unique perspective on all aspects of development offices, fundraising culture and Latinx in the US nonprofit world. He founded Somos El Poder because of his experiences of his long career in development, his success in teaching fundraising, and a deep pride in his Chicano heritage. He is a noted expert on Latinx Major Giving and all aspects of fundraising with the Latinx community. He has direct experience raising five, six and seven-figure gifts from Latinx. He lectures and writes about the Latinx experience in the nonprofit world. His work includes direct experience raising five, six and seven-figure gifts from Latinx in the US. He is an active development officer. He has spent the bulk of his fundraising career as a Major Gifts, Leadership Gifts, and Annual Fund Officer on two $1+ billion dollar campaigns at Cornell University and the University of California, Berkeley. Recently, Armando was recognized by the Nonprofit Times and by the Latino Leaders Magazine, celebrating leaders who have created innovative, impactful new movements.
Outstanding Grantmaker — Dean & Margaret Lesher Foundation
The Dean & Margaret Lesher Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for all residents of Contra Costa County through thoughtful philanthropy, meaningful partnerships, and investments that create lasting impact. Established through the legacy of newspaper publisher Dean Lesher and his wife Margaret, the Foundation supports organizations that strengthen communities, expand opportunity, and help create a vibrant region where all residents can thrive. Through its grantmaking in children and families, education, arts and culture, civic engagement, and nonprofit capacity building, the Foundation invests in the people and organizations that make Contra Costa County stronger. Beyond providing funding, the Foundation partners with nonprofit leaders and community organizations to address local needs, advance innovative solutions, and build a more equitable future. By supporting those who are creating meaningful change, the Dean & Margaret Lesher Foundation honors the Leshers’ vision and their enduring commitment to a thriving Contra Costa County.
Outstanding Fundraising Volunteer — Katie Smith
Katie Smith is a retired entrepreneur with a passion for building businesses and supporting her community. A graduate of Brown University with a degree in International Relations, Katie began her career in development, working for a museum, a political campaign, and Grace Cathedral. She then entered the business world, helping a friend launch a company importing high-end bed linens from China. A few years later, she founded Mulberry Neckwear, which grew into a $50 million men’s tie company. After selling Mulberry, Katie founded rockflowerpaper, a gift, clothing, and home décor company, which she sold last October. Throughout her career, she has served on several nonprofit boards, but Ritter Center was her longest and most meaningful board experience. She jumped at the opportunity to lead the fundraising efforts for its much-needed new building and was thrilled to see the project through to completion in May of this year.
Jeff Atwood & Betsy Burton – The Outstanding Philanthropists
Jeff Atwood is a technologist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He co-founded Stack Overflow and Stack Exchange, transforming how millions of people learn and collaborate online, and later co-founded Discourse, an open-source platform for healthier online communities. Betsy Burton spent more than 30 years as a scientist in academia and industry, helping develop oncology therapeutics. Now retired, she volunteers with the Alameda Food Bank and serves on its Board of Directors. Together, Jeff and Betsy support organizations working in hunger relief, civil rights, reproductive health, LGBTQ+ youth, veterans, education, independent journalism, and an open internet. They also co-founded the Rural Guaranteed Minimum Income Initiative, a $50 million effort pairing direct cash assistance with rigorous research in rural communities. Their philanthropy is grounded in a simple belief: having enough brings a responsibility to help others thrive, and meaningful change requires urgency, humility, evidence, and a commitment to opportunity for all.