Heather B. Hamilton is a Senior Director at Strategy for Humanity. She is a feminist advocate and coalition-builder with more than two decades of leadership experience in the human rights, security, and development sectors. Her expertise includes philanthropic strategy and engagement, strategic planning, advocacy and strategic communications, network design and coalition-building, and facilitation. She most recently served as Executive Director of Elevate Children’s Funders Group, a network of child and youth funders, and Executive Director at Girls Not Brides, a global partnership of more than 1,200 organizations in over 95 countries working to end child marriage. Previously, she worked at the UNICEF Asia-Pacific Regional Office with the Public Finance for Children Initiative; as Executive Director of the Connect U.S. Fund; and as Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff at Citizens for Global Solutions. She has a Masters in International Peace and Conflict Resolution with a specialization in gender and conflict from American University.
Donor engagement and philanthropic strategy: Heather has over 15 years of experience in public and private donor engagement across sectors. At the Connect US Fund, Heather managed a 7-donor fund bringing together funders from the human rights, climate, and security sectors supporting a more collaborative U.S. foreign policy. At UNICEF, she engaged public and private donors in public finance for children. Heather led the global donor group at Girls Not Brides, coordinating public and private funders from the women’s, human rights, and children’s sectors. As a consultant, she worked with multiple funders to develop strategies and convene partners. Most recently, at Elevate Children Funders Group (ECFG), she coordinated a global funders’ network, growing and significantly diversifying membership from 19 to 27 members in 4 years. Heather also convened and facilitated multiple working groups and design groups for research or learning journeys that convened funders across different sectors on topics ranging from child and youth participation to trauma-informed philanthropy.
Coalition building: Heather's work has been guided by a belief that social change is most likely to be successful when organizations work together effectively towards a common goal. She excels in designing and facilitating meaningful conversations among organizations to identify and implement shared pathways to change. Across her career, Heather has convened and led networks ranging from the Washington Working Group on the International Criminal Court, the Connect US Network, Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage, and the Elevate Children Funders Group.
Advocacy, strategic communications, and organizational strategy: Whether it’s a strategy guiding an organization, coalition, or advocacy/strategic communications campaign, good planning is critical. Heather helps organizations design and implement effective strategic plans and campaigns. She led strategic planning for a national US-based organization, a global partnership, and a donor network, and has consulted with foundations, UN agencies, networks, and nonprofits to develop advocacy, communications, and strategic plans.
Facilitation: Heather is a skilled designer and facilitator of impactful conversations. Heather's approach was shaped by training during her conflict resolution degree and practical experience over three decades of organizational leadership, coalition building, and consulting. She also trained extensively in the Interaction Institute for Social Change’s “Facilitative Leadership for Social Change” and the ICA:UK “Technology of Participation” approaches.
Cross-cultural experience: She has lived and worked internationally with advocates and change agents across Asia, Europe, and Africa. Heather strongly understands the sensitivities of cross-cultural contexts and working as an American in social change with Global South partners.
Select previous consultancies:
Donor engagement and philanthropic strategy: Heather has over 15 years of experience in public and private donor engagement across sectors. At the Connect US Fund, Heather managed a 7-donor fund bringing together funders from the human rights, climate, and security sectors supporting a more collaborative U.S. foreign policy. At UNICEF, she engaged public and private donors in public finance for children. Heather led the global donor group at Girls Not Brides, coordinating public and private funders from the women’s, human rights, and children’s sectors. As a consultant, she worked with multiple funders to develop strategies and convene partners. Most recently, at Elevate Children Funders Group (ECFG), she coordinated a global funders’ network, growing and significantly diversifying membership from 19 to 27 members in 4 years. Heather also convened and facilitated multiple working groups and design groups for research or learning journeys that convened funders across different sectors on topics ranging from child and youth participation to trauma-informed philanthropy.
Coalition building: Heather's work has been guided by a belief that social change is most likely to be successful when organizations work together effectively towards a common goal. She excels in designing and facilitating meaningful conversations among organizations to identify and implement shared pathways to change. Across her career, Heather has convened and led networks ranging from the Washington Working Group on the International Criminal Court, the Connect US Network, Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage, and the Elevate Children Funders Group.
Advocacy, strategic communications, and organizational strategy: Whether it’s a strategy guiding an organization, coalition, or advocacy/strategic communications campaign, good planning is critical. Heather helps organizations design and implement effective strategic plans and campaigns. She led strategic planning for a national US-based organization, a global partnership, and a donor network, and has consulted with foundations, UN agencies, networks, and nonprofits to develop advocacy, communications, and strategic plans.
Facilitation: Heather is a skilled designer and facilitator of impactful conversations. Heather's approach was shaped by training during her conflict resolution degree and practical experience over three decades of organizational leadership, coalition building, and consulting. She also trained extensively in the Interaction Institute for Social Change’s “Facilitative Leadership for Social Change” and the ICA:UK “Technology of Participation” approaches.
Cross-cultural experience: She has lived and worked internationally with advocates and change agents across Asia, Europe, and Africa. Heather strongly understands the sensitivities of cross-cultural contexts and working as an American in social change with Global South partners.
Select previous consultancies:
- 2003: Global Interdependence Initiative, Aspen Institute. Scoped strategic approach and potential platforms for an online community.
- 2013: UNICEF. Eleven-month consultancy working with 8 country offices and the regional office to mobilize resources and design strategic communications and resource mobilization plans for the Public Finance for Children Initiative.
- 2013: International Labour Organisation. Designed and facilitated a convening to develop the strategy for a joint campaign on migrant rights with unions, businesses, civil society, the UN, and the government in Malaysia.
- 2019: Unbound Philanthropy. Designed and facilitated a meeting on democratizing and depolarising the UK public square.
- 2019: Center for Countering Digital Hate. Scoped the nonprofit landscape working to counter online hate in the UK; designed and delivered convening to develop a common strategy; developed a strategic plan.
- 2020: The Kays Foundation. Developed strategic plan, advocacy plan, and MEL framework for a family foundation working on early childhood in Kenya.
- 2020: Prospera International Network of Women’s Funds. Designed and delivered a strategic communications workshop for convening establishing a European-Latin American alliance of women’s funds to defend human rights and the values of democracy, freedom, and diversity from the attack of the rising religious conservatism and the right wing.
