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Who We Are
JMC Philanthropic Advisors has extensive expertise in philanthropic giving and charitable foundation management. Believing that it is not how much you give, but how you give that makes a difference, we transform lives and advance solutions to critical social issues through supporting our clients in their targeted philanthropy. Our innovative and concierge approach to philanthropy is tailored to each client’s specific needs and situations, translating their values into charitable goals that are realized through meaningful and professional grantmaking.
Jeff Schaffer
President
Jeff Schaffer, President of JMC Philanthropic Advisors, has a 35-year history in philanthropy and the nonprofit sector. Seeking to create effective partnerships between donors and grantees, Jeff promotes honest conversation to allow the expertise of providers to be heard, and so that we learn together what works and what doesn’t. Jeff believes that collaboration between the philanthropic, nonprofit, private, and public sectors often is necessary to achieve impact in advancing social change. Jeff previously worked as Vice President and Southern California market leader at Enterprise Community Partners, where he oversaw affordable housing and community development programs, including partnering with the City of Los Angeles to launch the New Generation Fund, a $100 million lending program, and Restore Neighborhoods L.A. (RNLA), a nonprofit agency implementing foreclosure response and neighborhood preservation efforts. Prior to joining Enterprise, Jeff served as Assistant Vice President for grant programs at the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, where he managed a $60 million grant portfolio including initiatives on chronic homelessness in the U.S. and potable water development overseas. Jeff also worked in leadership roles at both Beyond Shelter and Shelter Partnership in Los Angeles, as a public relations account executive, a congressional field representative, and a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Micronesia. Finding solutions to homelessness and serving the most disadvantaged has been a guiding focus throughout his career. Jeff earned his undergraduate degree in political science and Spanish literature at the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master of Arts degree in Public Administration from the University of Southern California, where he was an adjunct associate professor at the Price School of Public Policy. He additionally serves on Southern California Grantmakers Family Foundation Advisory Council and the boards of the TK Foundation, Little Tokyo Service Center and Confluence Rising.
Susan Block
Vice President Strategy and Finance
Susan Block, Vice President Strategy and Finance, combines her history and passion for philanthropy with over 20 years of prior experience as an investment banker, strategic consultant and entrepreneur. Susan works with clients to develop focused giving strategies and provides foundation advisory services to maximize the impact of client grantmaking, convenings, and special initiatives. Susan applies her strong business background and perspective to her work developing and managing optimal client giving plans at JMC. Susan's prior business experience includes positions as an investment banker in the Mergers & Acquisitions Group at Montgomery Securities, turnaround CEO of a startup that went public and subsequently sold for $250 million, CFO and co-founder of Mercantile Capital Insurance Services, and co-founder of Block, Bowman & Associates, LLC. Philanthropic areas of special interest include climate change, the environment, biodiversity, domestic violence, animal welfare, and therapy animals. Susan earned a Master of Business Administration degree and Bachelor of Science degree, from the University of Wisconsin, and has taught investments, portfolio management and finance at both the University of Wisconsin - School of Business Administration and the University of California- Santa Barbara, and business management, marketing and entrepreneurship courses in the MBA program at Cal State Channel Islands.
Jennifer Lieberstein
Program Advisor and Senior Client Manager
Jen Lieberstein, Program Advisor and Senior Client Manager, has over two decades of experience working within the non-profit community, focusing on the areas of philanthropic portfolio management, public policy, systems review, and project-related research. As part of the JMC team, Jen works as a client manager, developing strategies, managing philanthropic giving portfolios, and maximizing impact and accountability across various focus areas including early childhood development, breast cancer outreach and care, education, mental health, and community building. In response to a funder's dream to honor hidden angels in the community, in 2011, Jen developed and implemented the HALO Award. This program, funded by The Deutsch Foundation, is focused on annually recognizing a cadre of Los Angeles’ top volunteers doing exemplary work in their communities and on providing support to the agencies where they serve. The award, currently in its 15th year, has invested close to $1 million in financial support and technical assistance to the field of volunteerism. Prior to joining JMC, Jen was a long-term program officer for the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, where she guided grant-making activities for a portfolio of 31 domestic and international grants valued at approximately $42 million. Projects focused primarily on trachoma elimination, communities affected by AIDS, early childhood development, and the work of Catholic sisters. Jen has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Santa Clara University and earned her Master of Arts in Public Policy from USC's School of Policy, Planning and Development. She is passionate about women's empowerment programs and improving the quality of life for vulnerable children.
Hayley Roberts
Program Officer
As Program Officer, Hayley Roberts leads work with JMC clients in a broad range of issue areas including poverty alleviation, animal welfare, in-prison rehabilitation, food insecurity, youth mental health, and professional development in arts institutions for BIPOC and disadvantaged individuals. She presents creative ideas and makes learning opportunities available to clients as she supports them in advancing their philanthropic objectives. Hayley manages application processes, conducts landscape analyses, and organizes site visits and convenings. Hayley has more than 15 years of work experience in the philanthropic and nonprofit sectors. She was a senior program associate at the Jemmott Rollins Group in Los Angeles, where she led implementation of new grantmaking initiatives, wrote concept papers and articles for clients, conducted qualitative research, and organized special events. Hayley also worked as a program associate at the Open Society Foundation in New York and, most recently, as assistant director of development for undergraduate education at UCLA. Hayley completed a Master of Arts in history at New York University and her Bachelor of Arts at Northwestern.
Parker Blackman
Program Advisor
Parker Blackman, Program Advisor, has spent more than 20 years working in philanthropy and non-profit cause-related work. His expertise spans a broad range of issues from early childhood development and education reform to environmental protection and social justice. Parker has helped shape the strategic plans, giving priorities, and communications strategies of both small family foundations and some of the nation’s largest foundations such as the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Parker enjoys working with philanthropists and non-profits to help them take their nascent ideas or programs, develop an appropriate plan for growth, and nurture the model into a successful vehicle for positive social change. Over his career, Parker has served in a variety of capacities, from grassroots organizer and non-profit executive director to business leader and grant maker. All these experiences have made him comfortable with change and exploring new ideas and strategies to help philanthropists find the right approach to giving. Parker is a graduate of Stanford University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in U.S. History and currently serves on the board of directors for three non-profits: Coaching Corps, Envision Schools, and Great Non-Profits.
Giselle Kasim
Program Officer
In her role as Program Officer, Giselle Kasim, brings more than 15 years of experience in philanthropy, working at the intersection of strategy, social impact, and community leadership. At JMC, she partners with clients across diverse issue areas to develop customized giving strategies that align with their purpose and priorities. Her approach centers the needs and voices of the communities these efforts support, fostering trust-based partnerships between donors and grantees to advance equitable, high-impact grantmaking.
Giselle began her career at the Liberty Hill Foundation in Los Angeles, supporting grassroots organizations advancing social and economic justice. She later led a global human rights grantmaking portfolio at the Open Society Foundations, where she focused on movement building, grassroots advocacy, and policy reform. Her experience also includes nonprofit consulting, directing community-based initiatives, and advising corporate and foundation partners on philanthropic strategy and implementation. Giselle holds an M.A. in Human Rights from Columbia University and a B.A. in Global Studies and English Literature from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Judith M. Gómez
Special Projects Associate
Judith M. Gómez, Special Projects Associate, works with a portfolio of donors to strategically encourage and inform their charitable giving. She evaluates funding proposals and reports and analyzes data to inform clients’ funding decisions. Judith supports multi-generational family philanthropy through mission development, meeting facilitation and personalized support.
Judith brings 20 years of experience across the nonprofit, philanthropic and education sectors, with a focus on advancing equitable postsecondary outcomes for underserved students. Judith previously served as a program officer at First 5 LA, where she oversaw a grant portfolio of over $30 million in annual grant funding. Judith earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Chicana/o Studies at U.C.L.A. and a Master of Science degree in Counseling at California State University, Northridge.
Kathryn Gwatkin Goulding
Project Advisor
Kathryn Gwatkin Goulding, Projects Advisor, supports JMC clients in navigating transitions in their giving, whether by formalizing and standardizing grantmaking processes, introducing due diligence best practices, or restructuring governance. She also supports donors who seek to become more strategic about their giving by analyzing grants data and evaluating proposals. She has over 20 years of experience in the philanthropic and nonprofit sectors, primarily in the community economic development field. Before joining JMC, she consulted for a variety of clients, ranging from community-based nonprofits to county-wide initiatives. Prior to launching her consulting practice, Kathryn worked for Prosperity Now (formerly CFED), a national nonprofit focused on expanding economic opportunity. She was a founding board member of the Next Step Network, which leverages factory-built housing to expand affordable homeownership. She has also worked as a Program Associate at the Ford Foundation and as part of ACCION International's technical assistance team at BancoSol, a Bolivian microfinance institution. Kathryn holds a Master of Arts degree from the School of Public & International Affairs at Princeton University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Amherst College.
Linda Liberman
Administrative Assistant
Linda Liberman brings extensive experience in education and operations to her role as Administrative Assistant, where she provides logistical support for the entire team. Linda excels in data and technology management, special event planning, and organizational research. Linda previously served as executive administrative assistant and publicity coordinator at Marymount High School and previously was middle school athletic director and community service director at Crossroads School in Santa Monica. She served as executive assistant/office manager at Beachhead Studio/Activision. Linda earned a Master of Arts degree in Sports Psychology at California State University, Fullerton and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Kinesiology/Physical Education at California State University, Northridge.
JMC Philanthropic Advisors
2444 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 622
Santa Monica, CA 90403
Phone: 310-829-4771
Email: info@JMCPhilanthropy.com
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