Tom Mendelsohn Philanthropic Advising and Donor Support

Working with individuals and families, Tom helps them articulate clear priorities, formulate investment strategies and maximize impact. He leverages his own – and his partner Julia’s – decades of experience supporting local, state and national organizations. But, he always starts with you: your values and goals for investing in change.

Working with individuals and families, Tom helps them articulate clear priorities, formulate investment strategies and maximize impact. He leverages his own – and his partner Julia’s – decades of experience supporting local, state and national organizations. But, he always starts with you: your values and goals for investing in change. 

Since the 2018 election, Tom has focused his time on Movement Voter Project, where he has generated millions of dollars of investment for political and social change, most recently as a Philanthropic Advisor & Senior Consultant – from its core mission of supporting grassroots organizing groups and building community engagement to win elections, to more recent innovations in digital media and coalition-building to defend our democracy.  

In nearly forty years serving the third sector, Tom developed management expertise spanning organizational development, strategic planning and facilitation. He has coached executives, and helped boards and leaders to plan more effectively and build strong management systems and habits. Much of this work translates directly into working with decision makers and leaders investing in change. 

Tom believes that the finite nature of decision-makers’ time and attention is incredibly valuable, and too often overlooked. Today – with too little time to waste and so many ways to waste it – we all need help, structure and discipline to do our work. 

Tom also brings experience in more technical aspects of management including information and technology, financial management, and business process optimization. Tom has led MGA’s Strategic Planning work and has provided Organizational Development and Executive Coaching to a variety of organizations, including Barr Fellows and their leadership teams.

Before founding MGA with Julia Gittleman in 1999, Tom was a teacher and an outdoor educator, and spent nine years with the American Cancer Society. His time there included serving as Chief Information Officer of the New England Division and both serving on and leading projects for the ACS Nationally.

 

Tom received his Masters in Management from the Heller School at Brandeis University in 1989.