Administrative & Grants Manager: Christine Kim-Tai Plautz
Executive Director: Alice Cottingham
Financial Manager: Ellen Sadur
Senior Program Officers: Robin Dixon, Julie Walther
Sisters Empowering Sisters Director: Yasmin Ahmed

yas(min) ahmed has been working with young people since she was 16 years old and is pretty sure she'll still be doing it when she's 60. always ready to cause a ruckus, yas considers herself a radical queer girl whose love of writing and politics parallels only that of pizza. her current projects are learning to carry a spoon on her nose and undermining the oppressive systems that divide us. rumor has it she’s also involved a few national, grassroots-y crews like amwaj (arab movement of women arising for justice) and incite women of color against violence as well as more locally based folk like the chicago girls’ coalition and the chicago youth freedom school. prior to her chicago adventures, yas lived several different lives all centering around the health, well-being, and power of young people. she fiercely believes that living (and laughing) out loud is the only way to do it.

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Alice Cottingham has, over the last three years, helped GBF develop strategic direction, deepen and extend grantmaking and other resources, and thoughtfully plan for the Foundation’s closing in 2008. She has the privilege and pleasure of working with coworkers to create a feminist, family-friendly, and highly productive workplace -- with the enthusiastic support of GBF’s exceptional Board. Alice’s previous experience includes directing the Fund for Immigrants and Refugees, the Crossroads Fund, and Chicago Abused Women Coalition . She is co-president of the Center for Impact Research, a co-founder of the Chicago Girls’ Coalition, and a n member of the advisory committee of Latino Progresando. She is a former board member of the Chicago Abortion Fund, the editorial board of the Chicago Reporter, and a co-founder of the Women’s Justice Fund. Alice is also an enthusiastic classroom and Family Math volunteer at her son’s elementary school.

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Robin Dixon came to GBF in 1999 with a background in domestic and sexual violence prevention and sexuality education. Robin is completing her master’s degree in liberal studies at DePaul University. She was among the U.S. delegation invited to the annual conference of the people’s health movement in Ecuador in 2005 and is exploring new means of connecting feminism, human rights, and public health. Robin was a 2003 co-chair of the Peer Network, a group of newer grantmakers sponsored by the Donors Forum of Chicago and a lead planner and developer of the fall 2005 symposium Effectiveness Matters, sponsored by Chicago Grantmakers for Effective Organizations. She was an advisory board member of Women & Philanthropy’s Gender and Education Initiative, a national working group to discuss issues of social equity in education for young people of all genders in 2004. She is an advisory board member for the Women and Girls Leadership Project, an organizing group in Chicago, and a member of United Way Metro Chicago’s Youth Impact Panel.

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Christine Kim-Tai Plautz joined the GBF staff in 2002 after moving from Madison, Wisconsin. She coordinates GBF grant cycle activities; provides staff support in grantmaking, evaluation, bookkeeping, and Board activities; and manages the GBF website, database, and all things IT/IS related. Christine chairs the Chicago chapter of Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy, and is grantmaking committee co-chair of the Asian Giving Circle. She is also on the board of the Asian Health Coalition of Illinois and a co-coordinator of the annual Breakin’ It Down conference that makes the foundation world more comprehensible to those seeking funding. Her former work was as the Phone Canvas Director/Development Assistant/Database Manager of Clean Wisconsin.

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Ellen Sadur is responsible for budgeting and financial analysis, maintenance of all accounting and financial records, and administering personnel benefits. Ellen moved into the nonprofit world in 2000, after more than 20 years of financial planning and reporting in the private sector at Sara Lee. She holds a bachelor's degree from Indiana University, earned a master's of management degree from Northwestern University, and is a CPA. Ellen is fundraising co-chair at her twins’ high school.

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Julie Walther came to GBF in 2001 from BOLD Chicago, an organization providing youth leadership and service learning development in Chicago public schools. Julie has also worked as the director of Sisters of Struggle and Sisters in Unity of Family Matters and in jewelry design. Since 2003 she has co-chaired the Youth Task Force, a member issue group of the Donors Forum of Chicago and served on the board of Chicago Women in Philanthropy from 2002 to 2004. Julie is also active in Chicago Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, the fundraising committee of the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health, and her daughters’ school. 

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