The staff, board, and partners of the National Committee of Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP) were deeply saddened to hear earlier this month about the passing of one of philanthropy’s most impactful leaders, Janine Lee.
Janine was the longtime president and CEO of Philanthropy Southeast, one of the country’s largest networks of philanthropic foundations and leaves a lasting impact on all who knew her.
“The warmth of her personality, combined with an unwavering commitment to the Southeast and a steadfast belief in the power of philanthropy, made her one of our field’s most impressive and inspiring leaders,” wrote Kristen Keely-Dinger, Chair of Philanthropy Southeast ‘s Board of Trustees. “Words cannot convey how much we will miss her.”
A Steadfast Warrior for a stronger South
Colleagues and friends remembered Janine first and foremost as a mentor and builder of deep relationships in the service of justice.
“Part of Janine’s legacy is that she worked to prepare new generations of leaders dedicated to racial equity and making a greater difference for the people of the South,” said Southern Education Fund Chief Operating Officer Kenita T. Williams, a Philanthropy Southeast board member and former staff member.
Keely-Dinger described Janine’s sector leadership as expansive, singling out among some things, her adoption of Equity Framework, and co-founding Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO). Always a strategic advocate for racial equity, Janine used her talents and vision to shape not only the work of Philanthropy Southeast, but also the United Philanthropy Forum, and philanthropy’s reach overall.
“Her leadership both within foundations as well as within key philanthropy serving organizations will live on as Janine never just “held a seat”; rather, she fully utilized every position she had to exercise leadership and voice according to her values,” said ABFE in a recent statement emailed to its membership.
She also left a lasting impact at grantmakers like the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and the The Arthur M. Blank Foundation. “Janine was a wonderful colleague. Kind. Warm. Always with a keen moral compass. She was a strong Black female leader in philanthropy at a time when there were precious few. She held her own and always with immense grace,” said Fay Twersky, president of the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation.
Janine’s Impact on NCRP
Staff at NCRP had the privilege of experiencing Janine’s leadership firsthand on a number of occasions over the last two decades.
NCRP President and CEO, Aaron Dorfman fondly remembers her as “a master at knowing just how far she could push the envelope without getting fired,” a critical skill for someone dedicated to causing what the late Congressman and civil rights activist John Lewis called “good trouble.”
NCRP Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, Timi Gerson remembers Janine’s role in the release of Philanthropy at Its Best, NCRP’s seminal standard-setting report detailing key benchmarks for grantmakers. Janine, Timi (then at Fenton Communications) and Aaron orchestrated placement of an op-ed by Janine in the Atlanta Journal Constitution during that year’s Council on Foundations conference, with NCRP staff placing a copy of the paper at every door of the conference hotel!
“Janine was a firebrand, in the best possible sense of the word. She was willing and able to disrupt the toxic ‘civility culture’ and unspoken rules of philanthropy that allow funders to avoid tough conversations – instead she used her position to speak truth to power and force her peers to listen,” said NCRP Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, Timi Gerson.
Her kindness and warmth extended to everyone she interacted with, regardless of their positional power. Director of Research Ryan Schlegel was a research associate when he first met Janine while working on our As the South Grows report series.
“I met Janine when I was working on the As the South Grows as a relatively unqualified, young, privileged white man and she was always kind to me and interested in my point of view,” Schlegel recalls. “A true leader!”
Another longtime staffer, Ben Barge shared that what he remembered most about Janine was how much of a tireless advocate she was for justice.
“She built deep relationships, spoke truth to those who needed to hear it, and always kept her eye on the horizon,” said Barge, NCRP’s current Field Director. “We’re not just losing a titan in the field – we’re losing a beloved friend.”
Our deepest condolences go out to Janine’s family, friends, and community at this time. Janine’s advocacy, persistence legacy will continue to inspire us all.
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