Inland Empire Community Foundation is pleased to announce that Brie Griset Smith is joining the Foundation as its new Senior Vice President of Charitable Giving, effective November 1.
“Over the last several years, our Board has been working on our role helping to build a culture of philanthropy in the Inland Empire. Hiring Brie is one of our biggest steps to putting the team in place to support our Board, staff, donors and stakeholders to activate giving across our diverse region,” said Michelle Decker, IECF President and CEO.
In her new role, Brie will lead IECF’s Charitable Giving team and be responsible for undertaking the strategies to steward IECF’s existing donors, while engaging new donors and their passions for the Inland Empire. In partnership with IECF’s Board of Directors and working across all IECF departments, Brie will connect more and more givers to the funding opportunities across the Foundation and the region. This is especially important as IE nonprofits receive a fraction (one-tenth) of major philanthropic and government grant support compared to area counties and across the state.
Brie brings over 20 years of experience in fundraising and program development, staff management, financial administration, organizational and board leadership, and strategic planning – most recently as Chief Development Officer for Discovery Science Foundation. Under her leadership, Brie successfully revamped the Development Department, helping Discovery Cube reach more than $32 million through its five-year strategic plan. She also facilitated significant philanthropic gifts and grants to advance the mission of Discovery Cube and its programs and initiatives – resulting in over 1,000,000 STEM engagement experiences to learners of all ages across Southern California.
Prior to Discovery Cube, Brie served as Vice President of Development at Orange County United Way where she raised more than a $100 million in the Orange and Los Angeles county markets.
“I am proud to join Inland Empire Community Foundation (IECF) as Sr. VP of Charitable Giving to work with all who care passionately about improving our region. We invite business, non-profit, academic, government, community, and philanthropic leaders to promote opportunities to solve big problems for the IE and embrace equity as an important part of building a vibrant, prosperous, and shared future for all. Together, led by an in-depth understanding of the IE and our nonprofit sector as well as with our treasured donors, we will make a meaningful difference in the lives of our residents for generations to come,” said Brie Griset Smith, Sr. VP of Charitable Giving.
Brie holds a B.S. in Psychology from Pepperdine University and is a proud resident of Upland.
About the Inland Empire Community Foundation
Founded in 1941, the Inland Empire Community Foundation is the oldest and largest community foundation in Inland Southern California. Celebrating 80 years in the region, we proudly partner with individuals, families and corporations to help them achieve their charitable goals. Since inception, we have given out over $100 million in grants and scholarships. For more information, visit the IECF’s website at www.iegives.org. Be a part of our conversation on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
