Detroit Conference lay person named head of Methodist Federation of Social Action

Jill Warren, a member of West Bloomfield United Methodist Church, has been named the executive director of the Methodist Federation of Social Action, according to a release by the MFSA.

Warren will begin her duties with MFSA, which is headquartered in Washington, D.C., on July 5.

"We were humbled with the number of qualified candidates called to lead MFSA," said Tara Thronson, MFSA co-president and Chair of the Search Committee. "The search committee went through an extensive process of evaluation, prayer, and discernment of candidates. Jill brings a unique combination of passion for social justice, deeply rooted Wesleyan beliefs, and vast experience with nonprofit leadership."

According to the release, Warren is an experienced non-profit executive who has led agencies, taught management and leadership courses at the graduate and undergraduate level, and provided consulting services to foundations, agencies, boards of directors and nonprofit CEOs.

Her faith has led her to do justice work in family violence prevention, reproductive health, and civil rights while giving boldly in her personal philanthropy to create a more just world. Warren has served on the board of the United Methodist Foundation of Michigan, and has led workshops and worship on the United Methodist Social Principles, most recently at the US Social Forum.

She is a member of United Methodist Women, which initially introduced her to social justice work.

According to its website www.mfsaweb.org, the Methodist Federation for Social Action (www.mfsaweb.org) is a 104-year-old faith-based non-profit that mobilizes clergy and laity within The United Methodist Church to take action on issues of peace, poverty and people’s rights within the church, the nation and the world.

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Bolder Giving Newsletter: Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, and some Michigan Methodists

Imagine this:  you're sitting at your desk, the phone rings, and the

From the tiny acorn grows...

person on the other end says, "Hi. I'm from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and we love your work."  (As I explain to friends outside the nonprofit world, it's like being an unknown author and Oprah Winfrey calling to say she's chosen your novel for her "Book of the Month" club.)

That's essentially what happened to us at Bolder Giving.  Within six weeks of that first call, we received a significant, three-year matching grant from the Gates Foundation that will enable us to propel our work to a new level.

And that's not the end of the story.  Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffet have launched a Giving Pledge that invites their fellow  billionaires to publicly commit to give at least half their wealth, and we're told that Bolder Giving's work played a role in encouraging them!  Honestly, that was one of our most outrageous and hoped-for dreams when we launched the project! 

See Melinda Gates mention our work in relation to the Giving Pledge on the Charlie Rose Show, and Patty Stonesifer (Special Advisor to the Gates Foundation Trustees) explain in the Chronicle of Philanthropy how Bolder Giving influenced their view of what's possible.

Please join next Thursday's Bold Conversation Join us on Thurs. July 29th at noon eastern time for a free teleconference about "how much is enough?" and the role of faith in bold giving. We'll be interviewing Jill Warren (UMC of Bloomfield Hills) from Michigan.  Jill and her minister husband regularly give  30-60% of their modest income to reproductive rights, peace action, hunger and housing.  She's an inspiring example of a financially "ordinary person" whose bold giving is extraordinary. Register now.   If you work with donors...Please invite them to join the above call with Jill, and to check out our free teleconference series, Bold Conversations. Your donors will be inspired to talk with remarkable givers and to learn from experienced peers.  You can hear from these same Bold Givers through monthly online chats we cosponsor with the Chronicle of Philanthropy.

Help Spread the Bolder Giving Challenge    It's great news that billionaires are signing The Giving Pledge and committing to give at least half their wealth.  But not just billionaires can be bold!

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