In this episode, we are joined by Suzanne Elise Walsh. With a background in philanthropy, higher education, community development, and law, today, Suzanne is the President of Bennett College, where she has served since August 2019.
Suzanne is also the Founder and Manager of Discerning SEWlutions, an organization that works with foundations, nonprofits, colleges, and universities to uncover, imagine, and plan for future possibilities. Previously, Suzanne also served as Deputy Director at the Gates Foundation, where she developed a portfolio of over $70 million in postsecondary investments. Additionally, she has held roles at the Lumina Foundation for Education and The Heinz Endowments and was a board member of Grantmakers for Effective Organizations. She has received national recognition for her portfolio of work with organizations at the intersection of innovation, technology, and learning.
In this episode, we discuss:
- The concept of VUCA – Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity, and how it informs Suzanne’s role as a leader in higher education
- How nonprofits and funders can build transparent, effective relationships that lead to better results
- The value of funders working with grantees as partners and making space in portfolios for nonobvious partners
ABOUT FOUNDATION SOURCE
Foundation Source is the leading provider of philanthropic software and services. A pioneer in philanthropic technology, Foundation Source is the partner of choice for integrated, enterprise-grade solutions spanning private foundations, donor-advised funds and planned giving programs. Its flexible suite of tools and resources include end-to-end administrative support for the most popular charitable vehicles, specialized compliance, tax, development and consulting capabilities, and deep domain expertise to help maximize impact, mitigate risk, and improve efficiency for all parts of the philanthropic ecosystem. Foundation Source works with donors, nonprofits, wealth advisors and financial institutions to launch, enhance or augment charitable initiatives with turnkey, white-label and outsourced offerings that meet a wide range of philanthropic objectives quickly, professionally, and compliantly.
As of December 31, 2025, Foundation Source supports more than 5,600 private foundations, 20,000 DAF accounts, and 1,700 nonprofits, administers more than $55 billion in charitable assets and facilitate more than 190,000 grants and planned gifts representing more than $4 billion in charitable aid annually.
