Raise DC Leadership Council

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Madye Henson

Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers
President & CEO

Dr. Madye Henson is President and CEO of Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers, the leading regional network of foundations, corporate giving, and philanthropic institutions in Greater Washington. In the region, she has also served as the Chief Executive Officer of Covenant House Greater Washington, Deputy Superintendent for Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) in Alexandria, Va., President and CEO of HandsOn Greater DC Cares, and Vice President, Community Impact Development with United Way of America. Before moving to the nonprofit sector, she held leadership positions in several major corporations and founded a consulting firm, Strategic Vision, where she served business, nonprofit, government, and educational clients focused on organizational and individual development, with expertise in diversity, inclusion, and equity.

Dr. Henson has an earned Doctor of Management, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) Degree from Webster University; her Bachelor of Science Degree in Business was from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She completed her doctoral research on the “Competencies, Characteristics, and Conditions of Highly Effective Urban School Leaders”, and was elected and served six years on the St. Louis Public School Board, and monitored African American student achievement in the 25 surrounding school districts. Recently, she was selected as a 2017 Washington Business Journal CEO of the Year/ C- Suite Awardee, 2016 Washington SmartCEO Brava Awardee, and she is featured as one of 25 leaders in the Extra Mile America: Stories of Inspiration, Possibility, and Purpose by Shawn Anderson.

VPP + Raise DC
is now Youth
Invest Partners

In June of 2000, Venture Philanthropy Partners opened it doors, spurred by the efforts of three founders who asked themselves,
“Could the business world provide a different, innovative approach to social change?”

In the years that followed, VPP quickly became a strategic hub for high-impact investments through deep and sustained partnerships with foundations, businesses, government agencies and school systems.

In April of 2020, VPP formed a strategic alliance with Raise DC to build an investment organization capable of driving alignment among communities, and nonprofit, business and regional leaders around systems change. VPP+Raise DC committed to call out and confront policies, practices and systems that contribute to racial inequity.

Today, we recognize the need to do more, be bolder, and act faster. Youth Invest Partners is a call to “dream big and do big” to drive change that will build better futures for Greater Washington youth today and in the days, months and years to come. Our new name and brand reflects energy and focus as we collaborate, innovate and transform.

Join us and learn more