About Forward Philanthropy

Selected Client List:

  • Dealer.com
  • Growald Family Fund
  • Lintilhac Foundation
  • Permanent Fund for Vermont Children
  • Merchants Trust Company
  • Samara Fund
  • Seventh Generation Foundation
Forward Philanthropy also works with individuals and families who prefer their giving to be quiet or anonymous. We are effective intermediaries between donors and nonprofits, and can engage prospective grantees while ensuring a donor’s privacy.
“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” ― Winston S. Churchill

Christine Zachai, Principal

bioWith over a decade of philanthropic leadership and strategic grantmaking experience, Zachai works with philanthropists to articulate their visions, and implements plans to achieve them.

Zachai supports families and foundations in not only crafting their philanthropic goals, but also developing the internal evaluation and foundation management systems necessary to achieve them.  She works with some clients behind the scenes, supporting them in executing their external relations, and represents other clients to non-profits and the public.  Zachai enjoys working with multi-generational families to support Millennials and GenX’ers in finding their voice and bringing them to the board table.

As Executive Director of the Vermont Women’s Fund of the Vermont Community Foundation, and subsequently the Permanent Fund for Vermont Children, Zachai spent a decade crafting innovative philanthropic solutions to address complex problems.   As Executive Director of the Permanent Fund, Zachai led the foundation to focus on three program areas, developing measureable outcomes for each.  The Fund’s work led to the development of funders’ collaboratives that pooled grantmaking resources to affect change in focused program areas, as well as an innovative grantmaking partnership with state government.  Zachai managed external relationships, including with co-funders, grantees, policymakers, congressional staff, and the media, and organized annual funders convenings to build collaboration among private funders.

Zachai has been an invited speaker on strategic philanthropy, women and philanthropy, and Millennial philanthropy at funder convenings, conferences, and panel discussions in New England, NYC, and Philadelphia.  She lives in Montpelier, Vermont.