Susan Sanow Is the Deputy Executive Director at the Center for Nonprofit Advancement

Susan Sanow is the Deputy Executive Director at the Center for Nonprofit Advancement.

Susan has had a wide array of responsibilities since joining the Center staff in 1988. She currently oversees the Center’s Learning & Leadership Institute, Executive Transition services and the organization’s two awards programs. She founded and administers The Washington Post Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Management and the Gelman, Rosenberg & Freedman EXCEL Award. The Washington Post Award began in 1995 as a competitive award to discover and promote the best in nonprofit management in the Washington area. The Gelman, Rosenberg & Freedman EXCEL Award recognizes outstanding nonprofit executive director leadership. 2009 will mark the fifth year of competition. Previously, Susan has also led the organization’s membership and communications programs.

In 2004, Susan spent a year as a Project Associate with Virginia Tech’s Nonprofit Excellence Initiative based in Alexandria, Virginia. She worked to bridge the needs of the academic community with practical management information to benefit the nonprofit sector in D.C. and the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Susan is co-author of Winning Ways: Great Nonprofit Management Ideas from the Washington Post Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Management (2001). She is also the author of the popular Emergency Succession Plan Template (www.nonprofitadvancement.org/template).

Susan is a founding board member of the Virginia Network of Nonprofit Organizations (VANNO) and is member of Leadership Fairfax (Class of 2007).

Susan holds a B.S. in Consumer-Community Services from Michigan State University. She has resided in the Washington area for more than 25 years.