FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Stephanie Glover 612.424.3634, usawdf@gmail.com

Jackie Copeland-Carson, Ph.D. Named to Head

African Women’s Development Fund USA

The African Women’s Development Fund USA (AWDF USA) has selected Dr. Jackie Copeland-Carson as its first USA Executive Director. Her appointment is effective September 15, 2011. Presently she is the president of Copeland Carson & Associates, a global philanthropy consulting firm providing services in the US, Africa, Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America. Dr. Copeland-Carson is founder and chair of the Pan-African Women’s Philanthropy Network, a diverse and growing coalition of Pan-African women leaders and their allies devoted to African and African diaspora development. PAWPNet, an AWDF USA partner, is the convener of the innovative Pan-African Women’s Action Summit, a bi-annual leadership conference recently held in Minneapolis, Minnesota from August 10^th-14^th, 2011.

An independent public charity and start-up foundation, AWDF USA was created as the US sister organization of the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) based in Ghana. It shares AWDF’s mission to empower women to lead African development. AWDF, created by Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi, Dr. Hilda Tadria and Joanna Foster more than 10 years ago, is the first foundation created by Africans to support women-led nonprofit organizations throughout the continent. A recipient of many international awards, AWDF has made over $US17 million in grants to support more than 800 nonprofit organizations in 42 African countries.

A recent study by the World Bank and African Bank reports that African migrants worldwide gave more than $40 billion to their home countries to support extended family members and community projects in 2010. AWDF USA will mobilize support for African development from the US African diaspora and others committed to African development.

According to Her Excellency Adeleye-Fayemi, who is also AWDF’s president and First Lady of Ekiti State, Nigeria, “AWDF recognizes that there is a worldwide community of Africans living in the diaspora and others who want to support African development—especially through women’s leadership. AWDF USA will be an accessible means for the US-based African diaspora and all Americans to advance women’s leadership for development.” Reflecting the priorities of African women, AWDF USA will support women’s rights, reproductive health, economic security, governance and peace, as well as arts and culture.

Dr. Abena P.A. Busia, chair of the AWDF USA search committee and its board secretary, notes that “After a search and review of almost 100 candidates, we could not find anyone more knowledgeable of both philanthropy in the African diaspora and on African continent to lead AWDF USA. Dr. Copeland-Carson has the expertise and the hands-on technical skills to ensure AWDF USA’s success.”

For Dr. Jackie Copeland-Carson, “I have long admired AWDF’s pioneering work on African women’s issues. It is at the forefront of an African philanthropic renaissance, blending the best of traditional and global giving to create an entirely new development model that puts women at the center. I am honored to be the first executive director of AWDF USA and look forward to raising public awareness and support in the US for African women’s development.”

A respected African diaspora philanthropy scholar and advocate, Dr. Copeland-Carson, trained as an anthropologist and urban planner, has almost 30 years of experience in the foundation field. She has been an executive, evaluator, trainer or researcher with numerous philanthropies, including global or African-focused private foundations such as the Ford Foundation, Kellogg Foundation, Bertelsmann Foundation and TY Danjuma Foundation among others. She has worked with some of the US’s largest community foundations, including the Philadelphia and Hartford foundations. Also, she has been a consultant on evaluation and strategic planning with philanthropy associations, including, for example, the Women’s Funding Network and Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees. As founding managing director for philanthropic services at US Bank’s Private Client Group, she had sales, regulatory and grantmaking responsibility for foundations clients throughout the US.

International human rights activist, Naomi Tutu, notes that “Jackie is the right leader at the right time for AWDF USA. She brings the vision, passion and know how needed to increase support for our Motherland throughout the US.”

Dr. Copeland-Carson’s writings are influencing trends in multiple fields. For example, “Pan-Africanizing Philanthropy” (Palgrave, 2012); “Kenyan Diaspora Philanthropy” (TPI/Harvard University, 2007); “Promoting Diversity in Contemporary Black Philanthropy” (Indiana University, 2004); Creating Africa in America (University of Pennsylvania, 2004) examine various issues in the African diaspora, community development and women’s leadership.

A recipient of the Bush Foundation’s prestigious Leadership Fellowship recognizing her contributions to community leadership, she has been on the boards of more than 20 nonprofit organizations, including the Association of Black Foundation Executives.

Dr. Copeland-Carson holds two masters degrees, one in urban planning and the other in cultural anthropology, with a Ph.D. in anthropology (African/African diaspora and South Asian concentration) all from the University of Pennsylvania. Her undergraduate degrees are from Georgetown University in literature with a certificate in African studies from its School for Foreign Service with studies at Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria.

For information about AWDF USA, contact Stephanie Glover, AWDF USA Publicist, at 612.424.3634 or usawdf@gmail.com