Alix Guerrier will become DonorsChoose CEO
Dec. 7, 2021 (WASHINGTON, DC) — A founding GlobalGiving architect and steadfast pillar, Donna Callejon, will serve as its interim CEO, effective today.
Callejon joined GlobalGiving in 2003, one year after its launch, and she has been a formative force in multiple executive roles over the last 18 years, most recently serving as the executive lead of GlobalGiving’s multi-million-dollar global disaster response program.
Former GlobalGiving CEO Alix Guerrier will become the CEO of DonorsChoose, a nonprofit crowdfunding platform where U.S. public school teachers request funding for the resources and experiences they need for their students.
“I am proud to continue my service to the GlobalGiving community in a new capacity, and I am excited to use this opportunity to press forward important initiatives underway at GlobalGiving to put communities in the driver’s seat of change,” Callejon said. “We are committed to modeling community-led practices that inspire others. Our focus is also on creating world-class programs and products that make it easy to support local projects around the world and leveraging the skill and passion of our team to prepare for the future of philanthropy.”
Prior to leading GlobalGiving’s disaster and crisis response program, Callejon built and led GlobalGiving's corporate partnerships and vetting and grants teams, which last year set new records for impact, sending $66 million in donations and grants to nearly 3,000 world-changing nonprofits across the globe. During her first chapter, Donna was a Fannie Mae senior executive. She is a California native with a B.S. in managerial economics from UC Davis, and lives in Maryland with her partner, Debbie, and four-legged family members Bodie and Oliver.
“I relied on Donna’s expertise and knowledge of the GlobalGiving community throughout my three-year tenure at GlobalGiving, and I know GlobalGiving and its many partners are in trusted hands with Donna in the interim CEO role,” said outgoing GlobalGiving CEO, Alix Guerrier.
Guerrier is a natural fit to lead DonorsChoose into its future and help the nonprofit realize its commitment to combat systemic racial and socioeconomic inequity, a focus set in 2020 after the murder of George Floyd.
Guerrier is a co-founder of the education technology company LearnZillion and previously served as its president prior to joining GlobalGiving. He's also been a consultant in McKinsey & Company's Education Practice, a middle and high school math teacher, and worked in the public finance department at Citigroup.
“Having been a classroom teacher, a K-12 education practice expert, a pioneering edtech entrepreneur, and a successful crowdfunding leader, Alix could not be better prepared to lead DonorsChoose,” said outgoing DonorsChoose CEO and Founder Charles Best.
Sandrina da Cruz will lead GlobalGiving’s disaster response program. She joined GlobalGiving in 2017 with more than 15 years of experience working with NGOs in Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Maldives, and the Lake Chad Basin and with UN peacekeeping missions in east and central Africa. Since joining GlobalGiving, da Cruz has managed the organization's crisis donate program with Facebook and managed dozens of response funds, including the Coronavirus Relief Fund. She holds a master's in International Affairs from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.
GlobalGiving’s Board of Directors will lead the search for the next CEO, who will take the helm as GlobalGiving celebrates its 20th anniversary of accelerating community-led change.
GlobalGiving is a (501)(c)(3) nonprofit that makes it easy and safe to give to local projects around the world, while providing fellow nonprofits with the tools, training, and support they need to thrive. Since 2002, the GlobalGiving community has raised more than $600 million from 1+ million donors for 31,000 projects in 175+ countries. To learn more, visit www.globalgiving.org.
DonorsChoose is the leading way to give to public schools. Since 2000, more than 5 million people and partners have contributed $1.2 billion to support 2.1 million teacher requests for classroom resources and experiences. As the most trusted crowdfunding platform for teachers, donors, and district administrators alike, DonorsChoose vets each request, ships the funded resources directly to the classroom, and provides thank yous and reporting to donors and school leaders. Charity Navigator and GuideStar have awarded DonorsChoose, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, their highest ratings for transparency and accountability. For more information, visit www.donorschoose.org.
Kristin Wright
GlobalGiving Public Relations Specialist
media@globalgiving.org
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