Rewiring Global Philanthropy—from Boston to Port-au-Prince and Beyond
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Karen Ansara
This story is part of the Architects of Impact series, highlighting stories of innovation that demonstrate how our Community is mobilizing to ensure a world that works for all people and the planet.
When Karen Ansara started what would become Network of Engaged International Donors (NEID Global) in 2008, she wasn’t looking to found a movement. She just wanted to do more.
“I was 51, had been a soccer mom for a dozen years with four kids,” she says. “But I needed to get out there—there were burning issues.”
The statistic that shook her: only two percent of U.S. philanthropic dollars went toward international issues. With three internationally adopted children and a growing awareness of global inequities, she knew she wanted to change that—and not just with her own giving.
She started asking questions, reaching out to leaders, and doing informational interviews. Her journey led her to Forward Global (known then as The Philanthropy Workshop (TPW) West), and from there to a cohort of funders who helped her crystallize what she was sensing: international philanthropy needed a better on-ramp, a deeper bench, and a stronger community both for individual donors and for grantmakers.
The result was NEID Global (originally the New England International Donors), now one of the country’s most respected peer-learning networks for internationally focused philanthropists.
Karen’s early experiences with our Community—especially the cohort’s immersive trip to Guatemala—lit a spark. “It was exhilarating and transformative,” she says. “We got the tools, analysis, and inspiration to really try to inspire others in the field of philanthropy to do more.”
The Two Percent Problem
Back home in Boston, she wasn’t content to reflect. She acted.
“I was talking with John Harvey from Grantmakers Without Borders, thinking, what are we going to do about this two percent problem?” That conversation evolved into a pilot effort staffed by The Philanthropic Initiative in Boston, with the Boston Foundation hosting some of the organization’s first gatherings for international grantmakers.
While still in her Forward Global cohort, Karen laid the groundwork for a network that would become NEID Global—designed not just for wealthy donors, but for the entire ecosystem of actors shaping international philanthropy: grantmaking staff, philanthropic advisors, and impact investors.
“We want to reach the whole ecosystem,” she explains. “That’s tricky because people have different identities, and some of the experts have so much knowledge that they have more to share. But we decided to structure this network to draw principally from members, not staff.”
While NEID Global was starting up, Karen was also participating in international giving in real time.
When Crisis Calls, She Builds
In January 2010, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake devastated Haiti, killing hundreds of thousands and displacing millions more. Karen and her husband, Jim Ansara, immediately mobilized.
“I partnered with the Boston Foundation to set up the Haiti Relief and Reconstruction Fund, led by Haitian Americans,” she says. “We raised money from people across Boston, offered a matching grant, and used the rest to seed the Haiti Development Institute.”
She also put her learning from Forward Global into action by embracing a spend-down strategy she’d learned from a family-focused presentation. “It was revolutionary to me at the time.”
Karen took more than a dozen trips to Haiti, often bringing NEID Global members along to learn and listen. She stayed on the Haiti Development Institute’s board until just last year. “The people of Haiti need us,” she says. “I think all of our networks are here for a reason, and it’s never been more important to help.”
From New England Roots to a National Network
The world has shifted dramatically since NEID Global’s founding, and Karen decided it was time to expand her scope as well. During the pandemic, the network expanded from its New England roots to serve donors across 21 states and beyond.
They also responded to the U.S. racial reckoning by digging into power and equity. NEID Global launched a Racial Justice Giving Circle, developed a Racial Equity Toolbook, and started dedicated circles for Indigenous and economic justice philanthropy.
“It was clear in our membership that we weren’t representative of the U.S. population. We had to ask: why aren’t there more African Americans in our network? The answer is structural racism.”
Karen believes strongly in trust-based philanthropy and shifting power to local communities. “The power should rightly be in the hands of the people whose challenges need to be solved. That’s nonnegotiable,” she says.
Still, she’s pragmatic about the scale of the work. “Grassroots can’t do it alone. Scale is very important for systems change.” But strategy, she says, “isn’t always king.” She’s learned to balance metrics with justice, and theory with trust.
Leading by Listening
It’s been 17 years since Karen joined our Community. Karen has remained deeply connected to us, often joining informal discussions to meet others and share daily challenges. “It’s worth every penny,” she says. “It’s not just head—it’s heart. There’s no agenda, we just show up. I like it because I can show up as my raw self, not a leader.”
That distinction matters to her as someone often in the position of organizing or guiding others. “What keeps people in a community is role models, kindred spirits, partners—people who understand the complexities. It’s the relationships.”
Karen is grateful to Forward Global not just for what she learned here, but for how it shaped her leadership at NEID Global and the Haiti Development Institute. “Forward Global was always my model of excellence in terms of programming, staffing, and analysis.”
Storytelling and Connection as Strategy
Karen doesn’t see herself simply as a donor or executive. She’s a builder of ecosystems, institutions, and narratives. Now, through a Harvard Kennedy School project, she’s working on profiles of global philanthropists to inspire others to give internationally. The stories will explore values, childhood, psychology—all the factors that shape a person’s philanthropic worldview.
Inspiration is something Karen has been quietly providing for years. Through NEID Global, her work in Haiti, and her leadership in networks like Forward Global, she’s redefined what it means to be a philanthropist: someone who shows up, listens deeply, and acts with humility.
As she puts it, “No one has all the answers. But we can give people the tools. And we can help each other do more.”
