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Giving Council and Circle Winter Event

Join us for an inspiring evening of learning and connection at the Giving Council and Circle Winter Event! Explore the latest trends in philanthropy through a thought-provoking panel discussion, engage  in meaningful roundtable conversations about topics such as supporting grantees beyond the check and more. This event is for current members of all CFW Giving Circles and Councils.

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Panelists

Akira Barclay (she/her)

South Side Giving Circle

Akira Barclay

Akira Barclay is a seasoned consultant and social entrepreneur with 25 years of experience in grantmaking, fundraising, strategic partnerships, media, and marketing. As the founder of Fresh Philanthropy, she has a track record of impactful leadership expanding and reorienting conventional thinking about philanthropy.

Akira champions the power of giving circles and everyday donors. Her expertise includes managing capacity-building grants, raising significant funds for youth-serving organizations across New York City and her role in the AT&T Imagine Your STEM Future project at Girl Scouts of the USA, which garnered recognition from the White House Council on Women and Girls for its innovative partnership development.

Akira's scholarly work includes authoring "The Value of Giving Circles in the Evolution of Community Philanthropy," an analysis of giving circles and their role in bridging grassroots and institutional grantmakers. This research was conducted during her tenure as an Emerging Leaders International Fellow at the Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society at The Graduate Center, CUNY.

Akira is dedicated to advancing women's and girls' causes and highlighting the contributions of Black philanthropists. She is an active member of the South Side Giving Circle of the Chicago Foundation for Women, holds a Master’s degree in Fundraising and Grantmaking from New York University and a Bachelor of Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University.

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Alexandra Beiriger (she/her)

Young Women’s Giving Council

Alexandra Beiriger

Alexandra "Alex" Beiriger is an activist, advocate, and academic dedicated to women's equity.  She has a Master of Arts in women’s and gender studies and has served in the grantmaking arena for over a decade.  By day, Alex serves as a grants manager for DePaul University's College of Science and Health, collaborating with professors to secure grant funding for their research and providing policy and guidance with carrying out the research projects.  And at night, she is working on a doctorate program in education leadership, studying women in college and university administration and their strategies for success.  Before coming into the world of higher education, she served for six years as a grant writer for Zacharias Sexual Abuse Center, raising needed funding to support services for survivors of abuse.  Alex is a former co-chair of Chicago Foundation's Young Women's Giving Council and remains active in the Council's important work in supporting up-and-coming nonprofits fighting for gender equity here in Chicago.

When Alex isn't working or volunteering, you can find her at Chicago's best concerts, plays, dances, and festivals.

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Chartise Clark (she/they)

West Side Giving Circle

Chartise Clark

Chartise Clark is a Managing Director at Koya Partners | Diversified Search Group, a leading executive search firm dedicated to placing C-suite and VP-level leaders who can navigate today’s most pressing organizational challenges. Chartise works with clients to find leaders who can thrive in diverse, multigenerational environments, foster a sense of belonging and shared purpose, and guide organizations through significant change with a collaborative spirit. Her portfolio spans national and global clients, including foundations, cultural institutions, social justice organizations, and social service agencies.

Before joining Koya, Chartise's career was marked by achievements in the Bay Area and Boston, where she led recruitment efforts for education nonprofits, focusing on creating diverse and inclusive teams.

As a proud queer Black woman rooted in the West Side of Chicago, Chartise is deeply passionate about supporting her community. To that end, she has built meaningful partnerships with a wide range of Chicago-based organizations, community leaders, and advocates. Beyond her professional endeavors, Chartise serves as a Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the West Side Giving Circle, supported by the Chicago Foundation for Women. She also contributes to the arts community as a member of the Joffrey Ballet Auxiliary Board.

Chartise holds a BA in American Studies, with thesis honors, from Tufts University. She has furthered her expertise through graduate studies in business and organizational development at Howard University.

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Gabriela Kreszchuk (she/they)

LBTQ Giving Council

Gabriela Kreszchuk

Gabriela is a poet, philanthropist, and actor. They are the Chair of the LBTQ Giving council of the Chicago Foundation for Women and graduated with their BA in both Theatre and Poetry from the University of California, Riverside. She currently works with Chicago Scholars as their Manager of Donor and Alumni Relations.

Gabriela is the founder of Poetry Portal, a workshop and open mic series that collaborates with businesses in Logan Square. She both hosts the workshops with these businesses and offers custom poetry that can be utilized in marketing. They also work as a typewriter poet at events, creating personal poems on the spot.

In their free time, you can find them lounging with their dog Stella, watching horror movies, and trying new recipes.

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Monica Thorns (she/her)

Western Suburbs Giving Circle

Monica Thorns

Monica Thorns is the Grants Manager for the Christopher Family Foundation, where she draws upon her prior for-profit and nonprofit work history, prioritizing social impact with people identified as marginalized or under-resourced. Her expertise includes project management, marketing and public relations, national account reconciliation and performance management, recruitment, event planning and logistical coordination, cost tracking and analysis, and fundraising. When not working, she enjoys philanthropic work at local and regional levels, including Chicago Foundation for Women, Chicago Women in Philanthropy, and PEAK Grantmaking. Monica is also a University of Chicago alumna, and a trained Special Education Advocate, supporting families in meeting preparation, goal setting, and outcome tracking. She was born and raised on the West Side of Chicago.

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