Anne Wallestad, President & CEO, BoardSource

Anne Wallestad, President & CEO, BoardSource

BoardSource President & CEO

Anne Wallestad serves as president and CEO of BoardSource, a globally recognized nonprofit focused on strengthening nonprofit leadership at the highest level — the board of directors. Recognizing the critical partnership between boards and executives, and the impact of that partnership on overall organizational success, BoardSource helps nonprofit leaders invest in their leadership partnership by providing research, thought leadership, and practical supports that help transform board structures, dynamics, and perspectives.

Anne was appointed to her position in 2013, after having served on BoardSource’s leadership team for nearly five years. She has overseen a period of remarkable growth and change, helping BoardSource expand its leadership voice and build a scalable model of program delivery that has resulted in a more than 200 percent growth in the number of leaders served. She has played an instrumental role in the launch of several new leadership initiatives including the Stand for Your Mission campaign, which challenges board leaders to play a stronger role in advocacy and public policy.

With 20 years of executive leadership experience in the nonprofit sector, Anne has worked closely with boards of directors and volunteers in a number of national and local organizations, and has cultivated deep expertise in fundraising strategy and leveraging the board’s fundraising role. She has served on a number of advisory committees and panels, including the Commission on Accountability and Policy for Religious Organizations Panel on the Nonprofit Sector and Independent Sector’s 2014 Ethics & Accountability Advisory Committee. Under her leadership, BoardSource has been recognized as a finalist for the prestigious Drucker Prize for innovation, and named a Best Nonprofit to Work For in 2016 and 2017. Anne herself has been honored as one of The Nonprofit Times’ “Power & Influence Top 50.”

Anne graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Drake University, with degrees in both sociology and English. She is also a graduate of Stanford University Graduate School of Business’ Executive Program for Nonprofit Leaders.

The Healing Potential of the Nonprofit Sector

Posted by Anne Wallestad, President & CEO, BoardSource on Jan 19, 2021 9:43:42 AM

Today is the National Day of Racial Healing, which takes place each year the day after Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. This year, it also happens to fall on the day before we will inaugurate a new president – a momentous occasion in any context, but one that takes on particular significance as it...

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Topics: Board Diversity & Inclusivity, Advocacy, Current Events, Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity

A Moment to Change

Posted by Anne Wallestad, President & CEO, BoardSource on Jun 24, 2020 3:27:41 PM

This past month has been full of tragedy and sadness. We watched in horror as a Black man was murdered by the police in broad daylight, and the pain and anger of 400 years of violence and injustice against African-Americans poured out onto the streets of every major city in this country.

This pain...

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This is Not a Drill

Posted by Anne Wallestad, President & CEO, BoardSource on May 15, 2020 1:00:00 PM

At BoardSource, we have sometimes talked about the fact that boards are a team that never gets to practice — that each time the “team” comes together, it’s a “game day” situation. While this is absolutely true, it’s also true that some “games” are higher stakes than others.

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Topics: Culture, COVID-19

An Important Window into the Foundation Boardroom

Posted by Anne Wallestad, President & CEO, BoardSource on May 16, 2019 12:09:03 PM

What are some of the challenges that can emerge when trying to build a strong board–staff partnership? And what is the state of this important partnership at foundations? These are some of the questions Anne Wallestad addresses in a post appearing on The Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP)...

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Topics: Leading with Intent, Foundations, board-chief executive partnership

Addressing Donor Misconduct: Advice to Boards and Leaders

Posted by Anne Wallestad, President & CEO, BoardSource on Apr 8, 2019 12:01:39 PM

Last week, Anne Wallestad co-wrote a piece with Mike Geiger — president and CEO of the Association of Fundraising Professionals — for Nonprofit Quarterly discussing donor misconduct within the nonprofit sector and how to address it. We summarize her viewpoint here but encourage you to read “...

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BoardSource Proclamation: National Day of Racial Healing

Posted by Anne Wallestad, President & CEO, BoardSource on Jan 22, 2019 12:24:47 PM
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Topics: Board Diversity & Inclusivity

Flawed Fundraising Report Can Hurt Nonprofits

Posted by Anne Wallestad, President & CEO, BoardSource on Dec 5, 2018 3:03:02 PM

Earlier today, Anne Wallestad shared her thoughts on four assumptions made in a recent fundraising report entitled “Pennies for Charity” in an opinion piece published by The Chronicle of Philanthropy. We summarize her viewpoint here but encourage you to read “Deeply Flawed ‘Pennies for Charity’...

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Topics: Transparency, Fundraising

Putting Commitment into Action: A New Leader for BoardSource’s Work on Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity

Posted by Anne Wallestad, President & CEO, BoardSource on Nov 27, 2018 11:00:00 AM
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Topics: Board Diversity & Inclusivity

It's Time for Nonprofit Boards to Have a Conversation About Sexual Misconduct

Posted by Anne Wallestad, President & CEO, BoardSource on Feb 22, 2018 12:05:00 PM

Anne Wallestad shared her thoughts on the board’s role in protecting an organization’s people from sexual misconduct in today’s issue of the Nonprofit Quarterly. We summarize her thoughts here but encourage you to read It’s Time for Nonprofit Boards to Have a Conversation About Sexual Misconduct in...

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Topics: Culture, Current Events

Igniting Leadership for Power, Purpose, and Impact

Posted by Anne Wallestad, President & CEO, BoardSource on Nov 3, 2017 12:00:00 PM

Anne Wallestad’s opening plenary at the 2017 BoardSource Leadership Forum in October was well received by those in attendance and featured in the Nonprofit Quarterly. A summary follows. We encourage you to read the entire text of Igniting Leadership for Power, Purpose, and Impact on the NPQ...

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Topics: BoardSource Leadership Forum

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