About DLead

Our Beginning

It was March 2020, and the world as we knew it had changed overnight. As the VP of Development for itrek, my head was swirling with a million questions. Should I be fundraising right now? What would fundraising even look like under lockdown? Will I need to lay off staff? Will I be laid off?!

While I didn’t know these answers, I did know that I wasn’t alone. I was confident that every other Jewish development professional was asking themselves the same frantic questions. I wondered: Could there be a way for us to support each other? What if there was a network just for development professionals from the Jewish communal world?

Within a few months, Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies invested in DLead to make it what it is today—an organization which brings together top talent from across the Jewish communal space to answer our most pressing questions by tapping into our greatest resource: each other.

And thus, DLead was born.

— Evan Majzner

Founder, DLead

In August 2020, DLead officially launched with 18 of the best and brightest development heads from Jewish organizations around the country. We kicked off with three goals:

To build relationships amongst like-minded, talented leaders of development teams

To share best practices and key learnings to improve our organizations

To learn and grow, both individually and organizationally

“I don’t often have the opportunity to interact with many other grant writers in the Jewish professional world, but DLead has provided me with a new network of like-minded and talented individuals who face the same challenges I do day in and day out.”

— Naava Frank

Institutional Giving Manager Honeymoon Israel

Our Mission

To bring together top fundraising talent across a diverse spectrum of organizations to elevate and advance the Jewish world.

Through highly specialized leadership networks, mentorship opportunities, and professional development offerings, DLead helps development professionals build rich and diverse Jewish communal networks. Now, with representation from over 25 Jewish organizations, DLead is changing the Jewish world, one fundraiser at a time.

Our Leadership

Leadership Team

Evan Majzner

Founder

Kate O’Bannon & Avital Ingber

Content Leadership

Lisa Lepson & Will Schneider

Blog Leadership

Cohort Chairs

Michael Littenberg-Brown & Hannah Olson

Co-Chairs of Head Fundraisers Cohort

Anna Allen & Haylee Jacobs

Co-Chairs of Frontline Fundraisers Cohort

Naava Frank & Liz Klein

Co-Chairs of Grant Writers Cohort

Advisory Board

Sarah
Fried

Chief Advancement Officer
Hillel International

Aliza
Mazor

Chief Field-Building Officer
Upstart

Mark
Reisbaum

Independent Philanthropy Advisor

Joe
Richards

Founder
GSD Advisers Inc

National Director
AIPAC Wall Street & Venture Tech

Rebecca
Shafron

Program Officer
Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies

“Fundraisers from different organizations are not commonly incentivized to spend time with one another. Through DLead, I now have a much better understanding of who my peers are across the Jewish communal world. I’ve learned from each of them. I’ve supported each of them through challenges they bring to the table, and I have felt supported by each of them when I raise challenges as well.”

— Larry Gast

Vice President of Development Moishe House

Our Programs

Learn more about our Cohorts, Masters and Mentors programs.

Find out more

Visit the DLead Blog

For tips, tricks, musings and big ideas on Jewish fundraising

Read Blog

Contact Us

Fill out the form with any questions or to be in touch with a member of the DLead team about how DLead can advance your career.