PhilanthroMedia is a Brooklyn-based new media company established in January 2007 to “advance ideas that matter.” Client services are based upon experiences its founder — Susan Herr — gained prior to launching PhilanthroMedia.
Photo by Jessica Keyes
Program Development – Susan has spent two and a half decades pioneering new approaches within the public and nonprofit sector. This includes A.) Four years as an inner-city English teacher in San Antonio, B.) Eight years as the executive director of Youth Communication/Chicago Chapter, an organization which publishes a citywide newspaper (circulation 70,000) by and for youth, and C.) Two years as head of a media advocacy campaign, funded entirely by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to advance positive images of young people in the media. From this position she spearheaded development of The First National Youth Convention — held concurrent with the 1996 Democratic National Convention — in which 300,000 youth logged on to the Internet to propose solutions for the problems facing America, and 300 youth convened in Chicago to formulate a youth platform.
Grantmaking – From 1996-2000, Susan served as director for the Chicago Community Trust’s ten-year, $30 million initiative to improve the lives of children, youth and families in seven disenfranchised Chicago communities. Based on theoretical premises advanced by the University of Chicago/Chapin Hall, the Children, Youth and Families Initiative utilized a collaborative funding strategy to build community leadership and institutional capacities. She also served as a senior program officer with emphasis in youth development, education and human services.
Strategy – Susan honed her ability to generate strategy in an R & D role as managing director for Community Foundations of America. During her tenure, for instance, she developed performance evaluation strategies and a supporting web-based system that enabled community foundations to enhance their transparency and accountability. Susan has written extensively on philanthropic strategy, including a six-part series on foundation strategy featuring interviews with foundation presidents, a piece on Re-Animating the News Business and Venture Philanthropy 2.0 in Philanthropy News Digest, an article on foundation accountability in Grantmakers for Education Newsletter (Fall, 2007), and range of topics for high-net worth donors on PhilanthroMedia.org.
Susan has served on a variety of boards including Horizons Community Services and Chicago Arts Partnership for Education. She also served as co-chair of Gays and Lesbians for Daley and Marwen Foundation’s Paintbrush Ball. She is also founder of DapperQ.com — a community for those of us ” transgressing men’s fashion.”
