Joyful giving. transformational impact.
smart & kind philanthropy.
Informed by 20 years stewarding $900M+, we help donors and foundations give with clarity, move money off the sidelines, and build the partnerships that make it count.
Meet Lydia
Principal & Founder
Lydia Guterman (she/her) is an experienced philanthropy practitioner, consulting executive, and people leader with a sticky note on her computer monitor that says “Philanthropy means love for humanity.” Her drive and motivation is to help our field live up to its etymology and do the most good where there is the greatest need. She approaches strategy and operations with curiosity, creativity, and the greatest respect for the individuals and communities for and with whom we do this work.
For more than 20 years she has worked in and with grant-making organizations partnering directly with principals and program leaders to discover their passions, cultivate meaningful giving networks with their influence, respond effectively to disasters, and activate new initiatives. To date, she has led grantmaking or advised on the deployment of more than $900 million in philanthropic assets across a wide range of issues.
Previously, Lydia held leadership roles at the Open Society Foundations, The Helmsley Charitable Trust, and, recently completed a decade as Head of Advisory Services at social sector infrastructure partners Arabella Advisors and Vital Impact.
Lydia holds a Master of Public Health from Columbia University in New York City and a BA in Journalism and Social and Economic Justice from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Originally from North Carolina, She lives in New York City and has worked extensively in communities across the USA, and in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and Southern Africa.
Our expertise
interim & fractional staffing
Don’t let staffing gaps delay your impact. Lydia is a trusted partner to executives and giving teams. She provides leadership and team management support to complement what you already have in place, move ambitious projects forward, and help you build toward a longer-term vision. We can flex our team size with our deep bench of colleagues with proven programmatic and implementation chops.
giving strategy & grantmaking operations
Let’s build a giving plan you’re proud of on the issues you care about most. Then, let’s turn that plan into real impact with giving systems that work well for you and your community partners. We partner with new and experienced donors to bridge strategy with operational realities and bring creative approaches to advance our work together.
Interested in services you don’t see here?
Let us know. If we can’t help, we’ll help you find someone who can.
We’re looking forward to hearing from you.
partnership development & convening support
Addressing today’s biggest challenges requires collaboration. Let’s build (unlikely) connections to accelerate progress and help you set the right tables to unlock strategic partnerships. As your “critical friend,” we’ll help you know when to push and when to hold as you pursue new connections.