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Our Mission

To connect people with nonprofits using a search platform that harnesses the power of local communities and puts people first.

Our Vision

A world where finding help and serving others is easy.

Our Objectives

Connection

Connect those in need with resources in their community. Foster greater and deeper connections between volunteers, donors, and nonprofits.

Community

Equip communities with the tools they need to help their local members. Empower users to form their own specialized communities of desired change.

Compassion

Inspire users to discover their philanthropic needs or passions. Cultivate cultures based on giving rather than receiving, compassion over competition.

Meet the Trustees

Stephanie Morrison

President & Founder

Stephanie Morrison's immersion in the nonprofit world spans many decades, locations and experiences - as a beneficiary of services, volunteer, donor, supporter, intern with nonprofits as well as a nonprofit consulting firm, and as a lawyer connecting people to nonprofits. Her passion for helping others began at an early age growing up in the small town of Cape May, NJ. Her focus on community based initiatives developed during high school as the Lieutenant Governor of Division 1 then District Governor for the New Jersey District of Key Club International. ...

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Emily Longfellow

Vice President

Emily Longfellow has made it her lifelong mission to help people live happier and healthier lives. Her focus on balancing physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health makes her a dynamic leader in the health & wellness space as well as in her many roles in the community. Growing up in St. Louis and Oklahoma City, Emily remained heavily involved in many types and levels of athletics. From gymnastics to field hockey, lacrosse to cheerleading, Emily's dedication to physical health mirrored her commitment to the pursuit of knowledge in the classroom. She was selected to attend Stanford University and spent her freshman year as a member of the cheerleading squad. ...

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Erikka Moreno

Secretary

Erikka has a diverse background encompassing education, nonprofit work, and corporate leadership development. She graduated in 2011 from Stanford University with a degree in Human Biology. She later went on to receive a Credential of Readiness with honors from the Harvard Business School. After graduation, Erikka began her career with HealthCorps, a nonprofit founded by Dr. Oz and his wife with a mission to empower youth to live healthier and happier lives. She spent two years teaching at a high school in East Los Angeles, CA where she was immersed in the daily struggles facing her students. While her primary responsibility was to educate students about nutrition, physical activity, and mental resilience, Erikka found her greatest role was empowering students to discover their own unique abilities and to be successful in their individual paths. ...

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Gail Wilsey-Morrison

Treasurer

Gail Wilsey-Morrison’s passion in life is serving her family, friends, and community. Growing up in the small resort town of Cape May as the daughter of two teachers, the stage was set for a life full of compassion, love, and a desire to make the world a better place. Her greatest accomplishment is her daughter, Stephanie Morrison, Founder and President of Giving Connection. Gail was a single parent since Steph was 10 months old and their journey was filled with struggles, success, and most importantly JOY! ...

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Kelly McNabb

Trustee

Kelly earned her Bachelor’s degree in Human Biology from Stanford University, where she was granted Phi Beta Kappa honors.

After graduation, she joined Teach for America in Colorado as a math teacher. Teaching in some of the nation’s lowest-income schools, Kelly witnessed pervasive and vast inequities firsthand. Many of her students and their parents struggled to make ends meet in a system that unfairly disadvantaged them. This ignited a deep desire in Kelly to help others. During her tenure as a teacher, Kelly also earned her Masters in Education at the University of Colorado, majoring in Urban Leadership. ...

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Makala Kaupalolo

Trustee

Born and raised in Maui, Hawaii, Makala attended Stanford University, where she was involved in a variety of volunteer and student activities. She served as President of Project Dosti, through which she volunteered at a school in rural India. Makala also served as a volunteer teacher in Bali, Indonesia and studied abroad in Beijing.

Makala’s interest in law developed during her time at Stanford. She volunteered with JusticeCorps in San Mateo County, CA where she assisted attorneys providing legal services at the Family Law Facilitator’s Office. She worked with self-represented litigants as they navigated the legal system during some of their most difficult experiences including domestic violence and child custody issues. Following graduation, Makala worked as a Legal Assistant for the Competition/Antitrust team at Google Inc. in Mountain View, CA. ...

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Karen Mainolfi

Trustee

Karen was born and raised in Montgomery, Ohio, but spent several years of her early childhood in Kobe, Japan. Arriving not knowing the culture or language, she quickly learned the value of openness and humility, and the fundamental principle that different is not wrong, it's just different. While Karen and her family returned to the US shortly after the Great Hanshin earthquake, the experiences her family had in the aftermath of the disaster highlighted the powerful impact of charitable outreach and support. ...

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Frances Wilsey

Honorary Board Member & Chief Joy Officer

Frances Wilsey, Stephanie's aunt and Gail's sister, grew up in the small town on the Jersey Shore of Cape May, NJ. She has served her community as the unofficial town mayor and social director for decades. Fran has many passions in life but the most important to her are love, family, her many many friends, WWE wrestling, jewelry, makeup, dessert, in addition to all music but especially John Mellencamp and Joan Jett.

Fran lived the majority of her life under the non-descriptive, non-diagnosis of “neurologically impaired”, which left her devoid of knowledge about her disorder or a community to connect. When she was 40 years old, a family friend mentioned that Fran looked similar to someone she knew with Williams Syndrome. ...

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2024 Interns

Ann Matthew

Platform Development Intern

Ann Mathew is a Junior at Vanderbilt University, double majoring in Computer Science and Climate Studies. She grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, but she has also lived in Shanghai, China. At Vanderbilt, Ann is the Director of Communications for Vanderbilt Data Science and she is also involved in various climate-focused programs and initiatives on campus....

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Charlotte Goldstein

Nonprofit & Community Outreach

Charlotte Goldstein is currently pursuing dual majors in Public Policy and Political Science at UNC Chapel Hill. Charlotte is originally from Philadelphia, but moved to Seattle, Washington in 2013, where her family still resides. She joined our 2024 Summer Internship Program as the Nonprofit & Community Outreach Coordinator. ...

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Jenna Yang

Platform Development Fellow

Jenna Yang is a rising sophomore from Southern California studying at Stanford University,where she is planning to double major in Computer Science and English with a Creative Writing concentration.She is joining the Giving Connection team as a Platform Development Fellow, specifically through the CS+Social Good fellowship.Outside of school, she loves to read, write poetry and prose, go to the beach, and spend time with friends and family. ...

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Saniya Mahate

Platform Development Fellow

Saniya Mahate is a rising junior at Stanford University, where she studies Economics and Computer Science. A Maryland native, she continues to cherish her roots and ties to the East Coast region. Throughout high school and her time at Stanford, Saniya has engaged in a broad spectrum of economics research at both GWU and the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research. Her research endeavors, which have had tangible real-world impacts, fuel her passion for work with significant societal implications....

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Past Interns

Monica Cook

Nonprofit Outreach Coordinator

Monica joined the Giving Connection team in January 2023 for an internship as the Nonprofit Outreach Coordinator, focusing her attention on building relationships in the Nashville community. Monica is a freshman at Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN, studying Law, Justice, and Society. She plans to use this degree as a foundation for one day attending law school. She is an active participant in the Student Activities Board, Turning Point USA, and RAICES, an organization that offers community building and cultural conversations for Hispanic students at Lipscomb University. ...

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Mohraeil Rezk

Community Outreach Coordinator

Mohraeil was born in Asyut, Egypt and immigrated to Nashville, TN as a young child. Growing up in a low income, minority community, she witnessed firsthand the disparities underprivileged populations encounter. She joined Giving Connection in March 2023 as the Community Outreach Coordinator looking to give back to the Nashville community. Deeply passionate about the organization’s mission, Mohraeil hopes she can provide unique insight on the challenges vulnerable communities face....

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Molly Buffenbarger

Community Outreach Coordinator

Molly Buffenbarger started her internship at Giving Connection in June 2023 as the Community Outreach Coordinator. Molly grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and is now a rising senior at Vanderbilt University. At Vanderbilt, she is double majoring in Medicine, Health, & Society and English—with a concentration in Creative Writing. Molly hopes to pursue her masters in Secondary Education and go into teaching English, while simultaneously working on her own novels....

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Astha Bhandari

Web Development Fellow

Astha Bhandari is joining us through Stanford University's Haas Center for Public Service for an internship as our Web Development Fellow. She was awarded a stipend for students specifically pursuing CS + Social Good. She will be focused on improving our platform's user experience as well as developing new features to increase our impact....

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