PDF Welcomes Iva Kaufman to the Board of Directors

 "Iva Kaufman has built institutions and coalitions throughout her career in international development, non-profit management and advising in philanthropy," says Teresa Juarez, PDF board president. "We are delighted to welcome Iva to our board and look forward to sharing her expertise."

Iva applies a holistic approach to resource development and social impact investing across the public, private, and corporate sectors. Iva has expertise in managing wealth, grantmaking, fundraising, sponsorship and cause-related marketing.  She was among the first to apply the tools of digital media production to build community through inter active media, arts, and culture. Iva works on short term consulting assignments, entrepreneurial start ups and the enhancement of established ventures in the non-profit sector, business and philanthropy.

Motivated by her personal sense of justice and desire to bring peace and stability to the Middle East, Iva founded the American Friends of Neve Shalom/Wahat al Salaam in 1981. It supports the first School for Peace and bi-lingual, bi-cultural community in Israel. This original effort is now one of many that address the divide. In 2008 she designed a multi-million dollar collaborative fund that provides grants, program-related investments and loans to organizations in the Israeli Arab Sector.

Recent consulting assignments have focused on environmental NGOs and women’s initiatives – in particular the GreenWorld Campaign and the Counseling Center for Women in Israel.  In 2012 Iva advised the Milch Family Foundation on the theatrical production of Hoaxocaust! Presently, she staffs the American Sustainable Business Council's Working Group on Women; and represents the Guide to Impact Investing by Julia Balandina.

Her enthusiasm for boosting the dynamic between financial empowerment and effectiveness in philanthropy have led her to found several initiatives that support women and men, youth and multi-generational families at all economic levels to contribute and engage more fully in the public interest. She staffed Women Managing Wealth at the Ms. Foundation for Women, established the Family Philanthropy Initiative of United Jewish Communities and is a member of Bolder Giving. She has participated actively in affinity groups of the Council on Foundations, Grantmakers Without Borders and the International Funders of Indigenous Peoples. She is a board member of the People’s Movement for Human Rights Learning, the Peace Development Fund and is chair of the board of the Circumpolar Conservation Union.

Iva is a graduate of the Lycee Français and the University of Chicago.

Photo: PDF Board and staff, from left to right. First row: Tina Reynolds, Iva Kaufman, Paul Haible.  Second row: Arlean Solis, Ali El-Issa, Teresa Juarez, Ray Santiago