The Council on Foundations Names Margaret Bandera, Chief Operating Officer
WASHINGTON, DC—The Council on Foundations welcomes Margaret Bandera as Chief Operating Officer.
Bandera joins the Council following a long tenure with Council member organization, National Philanthropic Trust (NPT) where she helped shepherd the organization's rapid growth over 13 years – serving as Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Administrative Officer and Treasurer. During this time, Bandera was influential in strategic direction and transformation of the organization's operating model and structure to help grow NPT into one of the largest grantmaking institutions in the United States.
Under Bandera's leadership, NPT facilitated grant making for some of the world's most generous and inspired philanthropists. Bandera's deliberate approach to financial leadership and operational efficiencies enabled NPT to raise billions in charitable contributions and expand the organization's grant making to more than 70 countries.
"Margaret is an outstanding addition to our leadership team. As an expert in finance and operations, she will help the Council secure our financial footing and build the internal excellence necessary to better serve our members and philanthropy more broadly," said Kathleen Enright, President and CEO, Council on Foundations. "Navigating the complexities of this industry requires a unique skill set, and Margaret's broad experience, coupled with her personal passion for our mission and dedication to building a strong internal culture make her an exceptional fit for this position."
Prior to her work in philanthropy, Bandera served as a Certified Public Accountant in the Philadelphia region and in Canada where her work included financial advisement on joint ventures at Exxon Mobil and budget oversight at the government of Manitoba where she reported to the Deputy Minister of Culture and Heritage.
"I'm honored to have the opportunity to work in service of philanthropy and delighted to be joining the Council team under Kathleen Enright," said Bandera. "I look forward to collaborating with the Council leadership to further expand on their success."
The Council is on an intentional journey to strengthen its operations in order to position the organization to help philanthropy be a strong and trusted partner in advancing the greater good. Building on our 70-year history, we are charting a course for the field where funders display high integrity, earn and maintain the public's trust and serve as excellent stewards of philanthropic resources. We imagine a world where givers of all kinds are sophisticated and vital players in creating more equitable communities and a better world.Hiring mission-driven, top talent is an essential priority to accomplishing this goal.
As a well-respected leader, Bandera was recognized as CFO of the Year by the Philadelphia Business Journal and named a Fellow of the prestigious Leadership Philadelphia program. Bandera earned her degree in Business Administration from Red River College in Canada, studied Finance at the USC Marshall School of Business and is certified in Lean Six Sigma.
Bandera begins her work at the Council, Monday, October 28, 2019.
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The Council on Foundations is a nonprofit membership association of grantmaking foundations and corporations. For more than 70 years, the Council has worked to provide the opportunity, leadership and tools needed by philanthropic organizations to expand, enhance and sustain their ability to advance the greater good.
For more information about the Council on Foundations, please visit www.cof.org. Follow the Council on Facebook @CouncilonFoundations and Twitter @COF_.
