Ellen Gurzinsky :: Board Member
Ellen Gurzinsky joined Funders for Lesbian and Gay Issues as the Program Director in February 2008. In this capacity, she oversees the design and implementation of the organization’s programs, projects and convenings. She is currently overseeing the Common Vision program; a national multi year initiative that will convene grantmakers who share a vision of healthy communities and widespread equity.  

Ellen comes to us with over 30 years of organizational leadership and a wealth experience in non-profit management. Her work has been focused on workers rights and labor education; women’s advocacy; violence against women; LGBT rights and movement building

From 1995-2006 Ellen served as the Executive Director and President of the Funding Exchange—a national association of public foundations which supports progressive social change.  During her eleven year tenure at the helm of the Funding Exchange, she oversaw organizational assets of over $30 million.  During her tenure, the national office’s grant making dollars more than doubled - from $2 million to over $5 million and the donor advised program increased significantly.   Ellen managed the Richard Nathan Charitable Trusts - an activist/donor  collaboration which granted over $1 million to LGBT organizations over 5 years.

Ellen has deep roots both in education and in the labor movement. She was the Associate Director of the Murphy Institute for Worker Education and Labor Studies ;  Ellen held a full-time faculty position at the Hofstra University /UAW District 65 Worker Education program and in it’s very early days, Ellen was the  Executive Director of the National Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW), where she helped establish CLUW as the national clearinghouse for union women  She also served as Director of the Health Careers Opportunity Program at Hunter College School of Social Work —where she still teaches part time.

Ellen was the director of the Park Slope Safe Homes Project; a community based program for battered women and their children and co-founded the Coalition of Battered Women’s Advocates in New York City.  She was also a founding member of the NYC Trade Union Committee against Domestic Violence.  

Ellen currently sits on the Board of Directors of Queers for Economic Justice in NewYork City and is on the board of the  Applied Research Center in Oakland CA.

Ellen earned her Bachelor’s degree from Brooklyn College and holds a Master of Social Work degree from Hunter College School of Social Work in Community Organizing.
 
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