Mindy Freedman

mindy_freedman_headshot_2018

ROLE

Board of Trustees, Leadership

BIO

The Foundation is one of the greatest gifts in our community to support individual donors in fulfilling their passion for meaningful giving. Thanks to them, I was able to create my own organization of giving. Everything I do for The SAM Initiative was born from the nurturing care and guidance of The Foundation.

Mindy Freedman is the founder of The SAM Initiative—a giving circle comprised of philanthropic women who pool their charitable dollars to fund and support programs committed to driving social change and promoting nonprofit sustainability.  Mindy launched the SAM Initiative in 2013 with the belief that we have more impact together than we have alone. An expert in micro-lending programs, Mindy spent several years early in her career in Latin America consulting with NGO’s and the U.S. Agency for International Development. She returned her focus to the United States where she applied her expertise in strategic planning, implementation, innovation, and executive coaching to individuals, businesses, and nonprofit organizations.

Mindy previously served as a Foundation Trustee from 2018-2023.  She was named a 2023 Leader of Influence: Nonprofit & Philanthropy by the Los Angeles Business Journal. She earned her bachelor of arts in international affairs and Spanish from the University of Colorado, and a masters in public administration in international development and Spanish from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two children

Expertise/Specialty Areas:

  • Nonprofit management
  • Innovation
  • Philanthropy
  • Social entrepreneurship
  • Community banking

Community Leadership Summary:

  • Foundation trustee
  • Founder, The SAM Initiative
  • Board member, American Jewish Committee
  • Guest faculty, Graduate School of Nonprofit Management, American Jewish University.