DANNESE MAPANDA, Chief Operating and Strategy Officer

As the Chief Operating and Strategy Officer at The Gathering for Justice, Dannese Mapanda is committed to promoting justice in her life and work. With over 15 years experience, Dannese joined The Gathering in 2019 with an extensive background in nonprofit program management, philanthropic strategy, grant and financial administration and partnership development throughout the US and the Global South. As a proven strategist and leader, Dannese served as the Director of Finance and Operations for the Executives’ Alliance for BMOC. In this role, she helped raise $1.6 million over one year for the National Youth Alliance for BMOC, launch the “Ban the Box Philanthropy Challenge”, securing participation from 42 foundations eliminating employment barriers for people with arrest and conviction records and provided strategic direction for grantmaking, partnerships, management and program design.

Dannese has demonstrated her skills time and again through her work with Frontline Solutions, a Black-owned consulting firm that serves the philanthropic and nonprofit sectors. She has also served as an independent consultant providing client-centered project management, content development and strategy services for foundations, social change and movement-building organizations centering marginalized communities. Dannese has also worked in communities throughout Sub Saharan Africa providing technical assistance and program management support to non profit organizations.

Dannese holds an M.B.A. from Florida Atlantic University and a B.S. in business administration and finance from Auburn University.