Philanos, the leading women’s giving circle network in the U.S., announces five newly elected board members comprised of women who are members of Philanos affiliate organizations.
“The Philanos board wholeheartedly welcomes these women to the board,” says Jenny Berg, Chair of Nominations. “These are all very skilled women who bring many talents, skills, knowledge and experiences to the board.”
Deepika Andavarapu, AICP, PhD
Impact 100 Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
Deepika is the founder and CEO of DEEP Consultants. Dr. Andavarapu, who uses she/her pronouns, is an urban planning scholar, community researcher, and evaluator working with government, nonprofits, and other philanthropic organizations. She is a strategic systems thinker designing long-term solutions with an emphasis on results and measuring impact.
Deepika has over sixteen years of experience working with the public sector and philanthropy over many social justice issues. As a researcher, she has produced trailblazing scholarship related to social capital's role in the resilience of disenfranchised communities such as slums. She is a published author, a public speaker and presented her research at a TEDx conference. Dr. Andavarapu is an intersectional scholarly practitioner who brings academic rigor and expertise to the nonprofit world. She designed and implemented rigorous impact evaluations that meet the guidelines of federal and state grants such as CNCS, HRSA, etc. She conducted landscape assessments that included issue mapping, policy mapping, data mapping, and stakeholder interviews to assess the state of knowledge around a topic.
In 2018, Dr. Andavarapu received the Rising Star award by Cincinnati's YWCA and went through rigorous leadership and DEI training. Dr. Andavarapu has held many local and national leadership positions, and she was the first DEI committee chair for Impact 100 Cincinnati. In that role, she led the development of the first-ever DEI strategic plan for the 20-year-old organization. Under her leadership, the organization's diversity more than doubled (2.5% to 6.5%) in three years; today, the organization is working towards incorporating an equity lens into its grant-making process. In 2020, the 400+ members voted DEI as the top priority for the organization. In 2021, under Philanos Leadership, Dr. Andavarapu co-designed and facilitated the first-ever conversations around DEI with six collective giving organizations across the country.
Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz
Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County, Columbia, MD
Buffy began her career working for an international human rights organization in Washington, DC. More recently she was the Communications Director at the Maryland Philanthropy Network and is President of her own firm BBS Consulting, working with foundations, nonprofits and political campaigns.
She has come “full circle” by now serving as the first Executive Director of the Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County (WGC), having been an original founder 19 years ago, and a past advisory board chair.
Buffy is a co-author of the award-winning book Women & Philanthropy: Boldly Shaping a Better World with Sondra Shaw-Hardy and Martha Taylor, is the author of numerous articles on women’s giving, and has participated in ground-breaking national research on giving circles for the last two decades.
She’s in the “Circle of Excellence” being named one of Maryland's Top 100 Women three times - in 2003, 2008 and 2010 by The Daily Record, and an "Innovator of the Year" in 2004 by The Daily Record, and honored as one of "40 Under 40" in 2004 by the Baltimore Business Journal. She was a first Impact Award Winner in 2012 by The Mall in Columbia and the WGC, and is a 2019 Inductee by the Women’s Commission of Howard County into the Women’s Hall of Fame.
Buffy has served on many boards including the Community Foundation of Howard County and Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County and she’s involved in political campaigns and gun violence prevention efforts.
She has a BA in Russian history from the University of Maryland. Originally from Newtown, CT, she has lived in Howard County - between Washington, DC and Baltimore - for over 30 years. Buffy and her husband Howard have four children ranging in age from 28 – 14, and two granddaughters, ages 17 months and four weeks.
Rebekah Bonde
Washington Women’s Foundation, Seattle, WA
Previously with Impact Austin, Austin, TX
Rebekah graduated from Abilene Christian University with two Bachelor’s degrees in Accounting and International Business and minors in Economics and French. Her professional background in Finance spans successive roles in oil and gas, financial services, and telecommunication industries, as well as consulting for both nonprofit organizations and high net worth individuals.
Collective giving became a passion for Rebekah in 2011 when she became a member of Impact Austin in Austin, Texas. Elected to board leadership, Rebekah spent five years in different roles that included chairing the Audit, Finance, Personnel, and Governance Committees, as well as in executive leadership positions as Treasurer, Vice President, and Chair of the Board of Directors. After moving back home to the Pacific Northwest in 2018, Rebekah became a member of both 100 Women of Whatcom and Washington Women’s Foundation where she currently serves as a co-leader on a Pooled Fund Grant Committee.
Rebekah’s previous board services include Street Youth Ministries, Sammamish Rotary Club, and Women’s Enterprises (all based in Seattle). Rebekah is also a past director of Philanos where she served as Treasurer. Her work in women’s philanthropy has been featured in Philanos webinars, newsletters, and conferences; local media; and in The Huffington Post Blog.
Rebekah and her husband are supporters of Bellingham Food Bank (WA), Central Texas Food Bank (TX), Bellingham Symphony (WA), Manos de Cristo (TX), and pro bono financial education organizations in both Washington and Texas.
Rebekah states, “My goal is to continue to meet and meaningfully interact with dynamic women representing collective giving groups across the county. I enjoy building organizations from within and broadcasting our message externally. Although financial management is my primary honed skill set, I am able to contribute in other roles, as evidenced by my written contributions on behalf of the communications committee.”
Stephanie Cook
San Diego Women’s Foundation, San Diego, CA
Stephanie is the Executive Director of The San Diego Women’s Foundation (SDWF) where she oversees the organization’s strategic direction and mission to connect, educate and inspire women to come together in collective philanthropy. In this role, Stephanie is responsible for directing staff and operations, board and financial oversight, overseeing DEI initiatives and creating connections and partnerships in the community. She is also a proud SDWF member.
Stephanie is on the board of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of San Diego (YNPNSD), currently serving as treasurer and a member of the executive team, after previously serving as programming co-chair. In addition, she is a member of Girl Scout San Diego’s Leadership Advisory Bureau (GSSD-LAB), a group of local leaders committed to providing support and mentorship to Girl Scouts, troop leaders, and GSSD volunteers.
Stephanie’s previous work experience includes program and event management, marketing, communications, and membership growth strategies in the nonprofit sector. Stephanie has a background in gender studies, certificates in nonprofit management and nonprofit DEI solutions, and an MA in Latin American Studies from the University of Chicago, where she conducted research and wrote a thesis on changing notions of community and empowerment in Cuban women’s movements throughout the 20th century.
Paula Perkins
Impact 100 Wichita Falls, Wichita Falls, TX
Paula is the founder and president of Impact100 Wichita Falls, TX, incorporated in 2018. She proudly champions women’s development and leadership as a result of her own experience with the Junior League of Wichita Falls and has recently expanded that passion to include strategic philanthropy through women’s collective giving. Paula is also a member of the XIX Society of the Texas Women’s Foundation.
Paula continually demonstrates a keen sense of purpose and meaning in her volunteer efforts with a strong commitment to improving her community through direct action. In 2014, her governance expertise assisted in founding the Wichita Falls Alliance for Arts & Culture in response to a community-wide arts and culture plan. Additionally, Paula has facilitated numerous efforts to address food insecurity through board service with the Wichita Falls Area Food Bank and co-founding its signature fundraiser, Empty Bowls, in 2012. She has served as president of the Junior League of Wichita Falls and as a board member and the governance committee chair of the Association of Junior Leagues International. Paula has been named as one of Nexstar Media’s Remarkable Women of 2021 and received a Jefferson Award for Public Service in 2013 for forging the way for others through her extensive community leadership.
Paula has both BS and MA degrees in Occupational Therapy from Texas Woman’s University and is a recipient of Board Certification in Pediatrics and Specialty Certification in School Systems by the American Occupational Therapy Association. She served as a school-based therapist for the first two decades of her professional career. Currently, Paula is an Education Specialist for Region 9 Education Service Center, providing training and technical assistance for educators in the areas of special education and other federal programs.
Philanos is a philanthropic network of women’s funds, foundations and giving circles that grant collectively into their own communities. Philanos accelerates women’s philanthropic giving by providing resources to its members to increase their impact. Philanos believes that communities with women’s collective giving circles are healthier, safer, more equitable and thriving. The network is comprised of women and those who identify as women. Philanos represents over 17,500 women in 80 affiliates in the U.S. and abroad who have collectively infused over $146M into their respective communities through their collective giving organizations.
