Giving Big: Trends in Philanthropic Support for Aging

As President and CEO of the National Council on Aging, Ramsey Alwin is leading a nationwide movement to ensure equitable aging for every American. 

Building on NCOA’s 70 years of service and advocacy for older adults, Alwin is renewing the organization’s commitment to improving the lives of millions, especially those who are struggling. She is sparking critical conversations about the resources every American deserves to age well—and what needs to change to ensure all have access.

A seasoned thought leader and policy advocate, Alwin has changed the way people think about older adult poverty and economic security. She designed a new measure of economic security for older adults that better accounts for out-of-pocket health costs and worked to introduce the Measuring American Poverty Act in Congress to redefine the federal poverty measure for the older population. Thanks to Alwin’s efforts, the U.S. Census Bureau formally implemented the Supplemental Poverty Measure nationwide, virtually doubling the elder poverty count and better demonstrating true needs among this population. 

Prior to leading NCOA, Alwin directed financial resilience global thought leadership at AARP and served as Director of National Economic Security Programs at Wider Opportunities for Women. Currently, she serves on the Executive Committee of the UN NGO Committee on Aging, the America250 Health and Wellness Advisory Council, and the National Academy of Social Insurance Finance Committee.

Lindsay A. Goldman assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer of Grantmakers in Aging (GIA) on January 1, 2021. Lindsay came to GIA from The New York Academy of Medicine, where she served as the founding Director of the Center for Healthy Aging and specialized in public-private partnerships to create age-inclusive environments.

Prior to her time at the Academy, Lindsay worked for UJA-Federation of New York, where she was responsible for strategic planning and grantmaking to support older adults, as well as emergency preparedness and response, and information and referral services.

Lindsay directed the Health Enhancement Partnership, an adult day program at Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, for which she received a Best Practice Award from the National Council on Aging. She began her career at Big Brothers Big Sisters of NYC, where she coordinated an intergenerational mentoring program in the Bronx. Lindsay holds an MSW from New York University and a BA from Wesleyan University.

Phil Buchanan, president of CEP, is a passionate advocate for the importance of philanthropy and the nonprofit sector. Hired in 2001 as the organization’s first chief executive, Phil has led the growth of CEP into the leading provider of data and insight on philanthropic effectiveness.

Phil is author of Giving Done Right: Effective Philanthropy and Making Every Dollar Count, published in 2019 by PublicAffairs and named the “Best Philanthropy Book of the Year” by Inside Philanthropy. He is co-host of a podcast, also called Giving Done Right, with CEP’s Grace Nicolette. Phil is a frequent blogger for the CEP Blog, author of op eds that have appeared in a variety of publications, and a frequent commentator on philanthropy in the media.

Born in Toronto, Phil grew up in Oregon before attending Wesleyan University, where he majored in Government. He also has an MBA from Harvard Business School. He lives in Concord, Massachusetts with his wife, two daughters, and dog.

Trooper Sanders is CEO of Benefits Data Trust, a nonprofit that uses data, technology, policy change, and direct service to help people tap the more than $80 billion in unclaimed benefits that support critical needs such as food security, healthcare, and broadband. Trooper brings over 20 years of experience working at the crossroads of business, government, and the nonprofit sector. Before joining BDT, Trooper was a Rockefeller Foundation fellow and worked on the social and economic implications of the global rise of artificial intelligence. For eight years, Trooper ran Wise Whisper, a strategic advisory practice to financial technology startups, philanthropic initiatives, and business leaders. He has also held White House policy staff positions during two administrations. In the nonprofit sector, he led the creation of ventures addressing issues such as the childhood obesity epidemic in the United States, the economic fallout of disasters, and the private sector's role in international development.

He currently serves on the National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee, a body established by the U.S. Congress to advise the President on national AI efforts. He also serves on the national board of Girl Scouts of USA, the Military Family Research Institute's advisory board, and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Trooper earned his bachelor’s from the University of Michigan, and holds a Master of Science in Regulation from the London School of Economics, as well as a Master of Law from the University of London.

Shireen Zaman is a program officer on the BUILD team, working to advance the foundation’s efforts to support and develop stronger, sustainable, and more effective social justice organizations and networks across the globe. Shireen has more than two decades of experience in the philanthropic and nonprofit sector, spearheading organizational transformation, resource development, and program management at a variety of organizations.

Shireen was recognized as a White House Champion of Change for her work as an Asian-American woman leader. She holds a BA in human development from Boston College and an MA from the School of International Service at American University. She studied Arabic at the American University in Cairo and is currently completing a coaching certification program through Coaching for Healing, Justice and Liberation.