Skip to content
< Go to Events

Events

Informational Session – GEO Breakthrough Partnership

This informational webinar is an opportunity for our community to learn more about the GEO Breakthrough Partnership and how you can get involved.  

In 2024, GEO launched our new strategic direction with explicit focus areas on changing grantmaker practice and culture in service of nonprofits and communities. Alongside this strategy, we started to think about the ways in which we could provide additional, context-specific support for grantmakers going through change – whether it be culture shifts or changes to their grants to nonprofits. We then started the GEO Breakthrough Partnership as an expression of our commitment to be in it with our community, learning about the challenges on the ground, and being more tailored in our approaches to change management. 

Have you ever wanted a GEO workshop or coaching session to be more local and focused on your specific context? Have you ever wanted GEO to support an internal working group or board/staff engagement? In this informational webinar, we will talk about how our capacity building workshop, culture workshop, coaching, and team meeting facilitation can be tailored to your needs.  

What can you expect from this information session? 

  • Peer-to-peer connection to meet some folks in the GEO community 
  • GEO facilitators will explain the history of the new pilot program 
  • GEO will clearly outline the program objectives, process, and costs 
  • Hear from previous program participants on what has made the difference for them  
  • Learn if this is the right fit for you and how to get involved 
  • “Ask Me Anything” session so that all your questions can be answered before we close.  

Already excited about what you’ve heard? Complete this interest form or just reach out to Jaser Alsharhan, Director of Programs, to schedule a chat.  

**This webinar will be recorded. If you are unable to attend but still would like the information, be sure to register to be included in the follow-up. 

Speakers

Jaser Alsharhan

Jaser Alsharhan is the Director of Programs overseeing cohort development and peer-to-peer programming at Grantmakers for Effective Organizations. Jaser comes to GEO after working at Philanthropy Colorado, a regional association dedicated to serving, convening, and managing funder peer cohorts. Before working for Philanthropy Colorado, Jaser completed a one-year Fulbright Program Fellowship in Rubavu, Rwanda, where he coordinated with the U.S. Embassy to conduct weekly programs and research at the American Corner, a resource center that aims to increase understanding between Rwanda and the United states. Prior to working in Rwanda, he participated in the Duke University India Summer School for Future International Development Leaders. This field research position in Udaipur, India allowed him to analyze and propose creative, locally sourced approaches to rural development. He also was a Curatorial Assistant for the Biennial of the Americas and interned for Children’s Future International, writing and researching grant opportunities for the organization’s expansion of education and basic needs services for disadvantaged youth in Cambodia.

Jaser received a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of Denver’s Josef Korbel School of International Studies and graduated from the University of Denver, where he was a Boettcher Scholar majoring in International Studies and Political Science. He enjoys hiking, running, watercolor painting, and giving back to diverse communities throughout his home state of Colorado.

Akilah Massey

Akilah Massey is a vice president at Grantmakers for Effective Organizations and an experienced program designer with over a decade of experience creating educational programs for grantmakers. Before joining GEO, she developed programming at Exponent Philanthropy, an association of small-staffed grantmakers.

While at Exponent Philanthropy, she spearheaded the CONNECT Conference, a philanthropy conference devoted to highlighting the connections that sustain philanthropic work. She also led Exponent Philanthropy’s technology content area, writing articles, blog posts and building programs on technology resources for grantmaking organizations. She further collaborated with grantmakers, colleague organizations, and nonprofit organizations to craft seminars, workshops and online programming on a variety of philanthropy-related topics with the intent of improving the effectiveness of small-staffed grantmakers.

At the start of her career, Akilah worked at a small Cleveland-area children’s rehabilitation hospital where she got to interact with very cool kids every day. She currently volunteers as a Court-Appointed Special Advocate or CASA in Washington, DC, working in a different capacity with children currently in the foster care system.

Related Events

2025 Learning Conference

**GEO 2025 LEARNING CONFERENCE IS SOLD OUT** GEO’s 2025 Learning Conference, held…

  • Conferences

President & CEO Convening

GEO is holding a two-day President and CEO convening based on the…

  • Role-based Convening

Senior Leader Convening

GEO is holding a two-day Senior Leader Convening based on the particularities…

  • Role-based Convening