Judy Berger & Associates | Startup Consulting to Advance Social Benefit

“Judy is a master at managing the iterative process. She offers intelligent and thoughtful programmatic leadership and diligent yet patient guidance of the group process. It is a pleasure to work with her.”

--Cindy Rambo, Executive Director, Zellerbach Family Foundation

Judy is a seasoned veteran in community benefit program design, planning and implementation. She has over 30 years of experience in professional development for philanthropy, nonprofit leadership, healthcare organizations and the public sector. Most recently (2002-7), she was Member Services Director and Senior Program Executive at Northern California Grantmakers, the regional association of philanthropies based in San Francisco. Previously, she held a range of senior management positions at Health Forum and its Foundation, (formerly The Healthcare Forum/Association of Western Hospitals). She also worked for two major consulting firms, several nonprofits, and local government.

Her competencies and skills include:

Setting direction and strategy, working collaboratively with multiple stakeholders
Designing, organizing, and managing creative educational, awards, and fundraising programs
Expert in leadership education, philanthropic professional development, and non-profit management applicable to many sectors
Developing business partnerships and engaging people’s interest in new projects
Raising and managing foundation grants, corporate sponsorship, and other gifts

Her major professional and community accomplishments include:

Expert program management for Kaiser Permanente’s employee community services awards
Broadening the eligibility criteria for joining Northern California Grantmakers
Designing and managing the Corporate Philanthropy Institute
Overseeing the NCG Annual Meeting and dozens of all-member gatherings and special briefings
Strengthening NCG’s collaborative funds and programs
Founding the Research & Development department at Association of Western Hospitals and The Healthcare Forum
Writing ambitious foundation grants and built a strong corporate underwriting capacity to support program growth
Designing, funding and organizing several dozen innovative health sector leadership programs, including:
- Healthcare Innovators Awards and Healthier Communities Awards Programs
- Summit 2000 conference for 1000 health care leaders, with online extension
- Best Practices in Improving Community Health conference series
- Healthcare Vision Quest interactive convocation of health association leaders
- Bridging the Leadership Gap complex research study
- Blueprint for Change videotape/workbook on strategic planning and marketing
As President/Board Chair and Vision Committee Co-chair, led Congregation Kol Shofar (Tiburon, CA) through a two-year successful organizational healing and vision-building process, resulting in increased participation and a doubling of membership
Researched and wrote a comprehensive report on SF local government used extensively in subsequent San Francisco charter reform activities

Judy is affiliated with the Center for Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership, where she is a part of their recently-created Civic Engagement Team and holds workshops with consulting associates. She has been an active site supervisor and selection-day judge for the San Francisco Coro Foundation Fellowship in Public Affairs.

In addition, Judy is the author or co-author of over two dozen articles and essays on health care issues and local government. With a Master of Arts in Urban Studies from Occidental College, Judy is a graduate of the Coro Foundation Fellowship in Public Affairs, San Francisco. She graduated with honors in Politics and Community Studies (double major) from the University of California at Santa Cruz.

Apart from her consulting work, Judy is a singer and student of vocal jazz. She is on the Board of Directors of RCI (Rythmic Concepts Inc), which produces Jazz Camp West and other programs fostering artistic development and creativity.