Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors Welcomes Two New Staff Members

NCG member Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors has announced the addition of Berit Ashla and and Heather Grady to their San Francisco team.

“It is an exciting time for RPA, with consistent growth in our global philanthropy, and we are confident in Berit and Heather’s ability to continue expanding our strategic offerings,” said Melissa Berman, President and CEO of RPA. “I am looking forward to working with these talented experts to help donors create thoughtful, effective philanthropy across the United States and worldwide.”

The two new hires are:

• Berit Ashla, Vice President: As former Executive Director of the David Brower Center in Berkeley, CA, Berit will be based in San Francisco to oversee RPA’s West Coast-based advisory work and develop new donor relationships. She brings a wealth of experience in sustainability, foundation governance, and grant making. Prior to leading the David Brower Center, an innovative arts and sustainability center, she was the Philanthropic Director of Foundation Source, leading advisory services in the Western US. She also served as the Senior Advisor for Special Projects at Tides, leading their donor engagement and fund development activities. Berit has a B.A. from Amherst College and serves on the boards of the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, the Abundance Foundation, the Nia Community Fund, and the Downtown Berkeley Association. She starts on September 15th.
• Heather Grady, Senior Fellow, Global Philanthropy: Heather will lead RPA’s strategy and program development in global philanthropy, including collaboratives, global programs, research, publications, and other initiatives to extend RPA’s global impact. Before joining RPA, Heather helped launch the collaboration between the UN, Hilton, Ford, and MasterCard Foundations and the Foundation Center as a part of her efforts to accomplish the Post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals, encouraging meaningful philanthropy. She was also Vice President of Foundation Initiatives at the Rockefeller Foundation, where she oversaw about $65 million annually in grants and program-related investments primarily in Asia, Africa, and the U.S. Prior to her role at the Rockefeller Foundation, Heather was the Managing Director of “Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative,” a partnership between with Columbia University, The Aspen Institute, and the International Council on Human Rights Policy. She has a B.A. from Smith College and a Masters in Public Administration from the Kennedy School at Harvard University, and has served as an adjunct professor at Columbia. She started on July 23rd.

Please join us in welcoming both Berit and Heather to the NCG community.