Kelsey Brow Executive Director of King Manor Museum
Kelsey Brow Executive Director of King Manor Museum Kelsey Brow is a co-President of the National Emerging Museum Professionals Network, a nonprofit dedicated to resource-sharing and museum labor advocacy. She has given talks at the AAM Historic House Summit, NEMA, The Society for Historians of the Early American Republic, The New School, and Rutgers University, among others. She is most proud to have spoken at ICOM Kyoto on the importance of investment in staff and pay equity in small museums in September 2019. Trained in the study of decorative arts and material culture at the Bard Graduate Center, Brow's academic work focuses on the intersection of consumption, gender, and ethics with material culture and the decorative arts. Currently, she is curating historic house museum experiences focused on environmental justice within her role as Executive Director at the King Manor Museum, which interprets the life and times of anti-slavery founding father Rufus King to foster critical thinking.
Tracy Kaufman Educational Programming Manager at Candid.org
Tracy Kaufman Educational Programming Manager at Candid.org Tracy Kaufman is an Educational Programming Manager at Candid, leading workshops related to nonprofit sustainability, management, fundraising, and other essential issues relevant to philanthropy and the social sector. Her trainings primarily serve nonprofit professionals, but also audiences comprised of funders, artists, students, and academics. Tracy is an instructor for Candid’s three-day Proposal Writing Boot Camp and teaches a popular workshop on outcomes and measurement. As one of Candid’s training experts, webinar instructors, and a frequent public speaker, she has spoken at conferences, most notably the United Nations, and has represented Candid on numerous panel discussions. In addition, Tracy provides training and support to Candid Community partners – libraries, nonprofit resource centers and other institutions – and provides philanthropy and fundraising information services to individuals and local organizations. Her relationship with Candid began in 2007, when she began working for Foundation Center, one of Candid’s two legacy organizations. Previously, Tracy held positions with the Association of American Publishers and New York Public Library. Tracy earned her Bachelors of Arts in Writing Seminars from Johns Hopkins University, and studied Library and Information Science at the Pratt Institute.
Kief Schladweiler Development Specialist at Candid.org
Kief Schladweiler Development Specialist at Candid.org With a steadfast commitment to philanthropy and a career spanning over two decades, Kief has been an integral part of Candid (and Foundation Center, one of its legacy organizations) since 1999, currently serving as a Development Specialist. In this role, he adeptly manages approximately 100 relationships with donors and prospects each year, boasting a portfolio that includes some of the nation’s largest foundations. Kief excels in raising funds for unrestricted support and special projects, skillfully navigating the complexities of donor relations and crafting impactful fundraising strategies for foundation and corporate support at Candid. Kief spent nearly ten years overseeing the Funding Information Network, an initiative of Foundation Center. Under his dynamic leadership, the program flourished, expanding to include nearly 500 community partners worldwide, comprising libraries, nonprofit resource centers, and other institutions providing free access to invaluable fundraising resources and training. Notably, he played a pivotal role in doubling the program’s size and orchestrating its international reach. Kief was also instrumental in transforming the annual Network Days conference into a hybrid event, seamlessly blending in-person and virtual elements to facilitate global partner participation. Prior to his tenure in development, Kief held various roles at Foundation Center, including serving as a reference/online librarian and coordinating services for grantmakers. His diverse contributions also extend to the editorial realm, where he assumed the role of editor for Foundation Fundamentals: A Guide for Grantseekers, a revered and best-selling fundraising textbook among his numerous editorial credits. Kief holds a Master of Arts in Library and Information Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, underscoring his dedication to knowledge and information dissemination. His professional journey commenced at the New York Public Library, where he served as a reference librarian at the Countee Cullen Library and Donnell Library Center. Kief’s unwavering passion for philanthropy, coupled with his extensive expertise, continues to drive positive impact and shape the landscape of fundraising and community engagement at Candid.
Susan Shiroma Business Librarian at Queens Public Library
Susan Shiroma Business Librarian at Queens Public Library Shiroma has worked with Queens Public Library (Central Library, Jamaica) since 2022 as a Business Librarian and philanthropy specialist. Susan manages outreach for the library’s business, nonprofit and grants resources, and develops community partnerships to expand equitable access to these vital collections. Susan created a partnership with the Queens Borough President’s Department of Nonprofit Opportunities and provides monthly resource consultations at Borough Hall. Susan develops and teaches new classes on business, proposal writing and other fundraising topics. Prior to working as a Business Librarian, Susan represented Candid, formerly Foundation Center, in public services for 26 years, and managed relationships with over 120 public and academic libraries, nonprofit resource centers and community foundations in the Northeast. Under her leadership, earned income from Candid community partner memberships in the Northeast U.S. grew during the COVID pandemic. Prior to her career in philanthropy, Susan was an associate curator at New York University and a business librarian at Columbia University. She is a former adjunct instructor at St. John’s University and Long Island University in their graduate schools of library and information sciences. She received an M.A. in Library Services from Columbia University. Currently Susan serves on the Board of Directors of King Manor Museum and volunteers as a Friend of the Library.