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.
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.”
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Dana Variano, Creative Director
Dana is a 26-year-old screenwriter and director, and founder of the small independent video production company Where’s My Sled? Productions. Dana graduated from Swarthmore College in 2006 with a double major in History and Film & Media Studies, and participated in the NYU: Tisch School of the Arts BBC program in London in 2004.
Dana takes an interdisciplinary approach to client projects, combining production techniques with her work in theatre, history, and comedy to discover how media can inspire those bored by traditional methods. Her passion is using media to educate and entertain simultaneously.
“The divine spark in man is not reason after all, but something else, some kind of intuition or vision, perhaps like the moment of inspiration experienced by the artist.” -Tom Stoppard
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Senka Filipovic, Research & Evaluation
Senka is originally from Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, but for over a decade she has made United States her home. Senka’s career has primarily revolved around nonprofit and government work, including over a three year stint as a staffer for the Sacramento City Councilmember, providing her with vast experience in public policy.
Senka’s passion, however, lies in global humanitarian and human rights work. She recently completed an M.S. degree in Global Affairs and Human Rights from Rutgers University. She continues to be involved with Association Q, a nonprofit organization, working to advance equality and nondiscrimination of disenfranchised groups in her home country.
