CEO of Philanthropy Massachusetts to join groundbreaking social impact startup, Impala
Jeffrey Poulos, who led Massachusetts’ leading philanthropy membership organization for 13 years, will join Impala as its inaugural Head of Partnerships.
New York, NY and Boston, MA -- June 27, 2023 -- social impact startup Impala (www.Impala.digital) has announced that Jeffrey Poulos, the CEO of Philanthropy Massachusetts (Philanthropy MA), will be joining the company at the end of August to lead its Partnerships team.
Mr Poulos is a leader in both the state’s nonprofit sector, and beyond. He joined Philanthropy MA as Executive Director in 2010, and was named Chief Executive Officer in 2016. Mr Poulos also served on the board of national philanthropy network the United Philanthropy Forum from 2013-2020, and is an emeritus board member of the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network.
“We are immensely honored that Jeff has decided to bring his formidable expertise, leadership skills and empathy to Impala,” said Co-Founder and CEO, Shahar Brukner. “Jeff is enormously respected across the field. He was also one of Impala’s first champions, providing critical early feedback that helped shape the platform to ensure it truly serves nonprofit and philanthropy professionals. His decision to join Impala reflects both the transformative potential of what we’re building, and our ongoing commitment to ensure it is done in collaboration and partnership with the sector.”
Impala is a tech-for-good startup that was founded in Massachusetts by Harvard alumni. Its groundbreaking new platform helps nonprofits fundraise more effectively and funders give more impactfully, by making social impact data both accessible and actionable. The majority of the platform is completely free, allowing users to easily access profiles of every philanthropic foundation and nonprofit in the U.S., including grants given and received, impact, people and financials. Impala’s first premium offering, Ecosystems, allows users to analyze any nonprofit ecosystem in the country - seeing who’s involved, how grantmakers and nonprofits compare, and what key funding trends are emergent.
Having informally advised the company’s founders for some time, Mr Poulos began contemplating the idea of joining Impala this spring after seeing firsthand the platform’s transformative impact on Massachusetts. In October 2022, with grant support from Barr Foundation and The Boston Foundation, Philanthropy Massachusetts partnered with Impala to make its premium platform available to every nonprofit and foundation in the state for two years.
“Almost immediately after Philanthropy MA launched its partnership with Impala, it became clear to me that this technology is going to dramatically transform the way our sector works - for the better. What has struck me most is that Impala is values-driven and continuously innovating for the field. In my 13 years working in the social impact field, this is far and away the most exciting development I’ve seen,” said Mr Poulos.
Since launching, Impala has seen explosive growth. The platform already has thousands of active users across more than 43 US states (and abroad) - and it’s growing every day.
Mr Poulos will lead Impala’s growing Partnerships team, where he will be responsible for spearheading the company’s expansion across the country. He will also play a vital role in ensuring that even as the company grows rapidly, it remains a thoughtful, trusted partner to nonprofits and funders - one which truly listens and is responsive to their needs.