Former Northern Michigan University Trustee Donna Murray-Brown will join the National Council of Nonprofits based in Washington, D.C. on July 1, as vice president of strategy and development. She recently concluded an eight-year tenure as president and CEO of the Michigan Nonprofit Association.
Murray-Brown was appointed to the NMU Board of Trustees by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in December 2019. She resigned at the end of 2021 because of an impending move out of state.
“I am thrilled to join the team of the National Council of Nonprofits,” said Murray-Brown in an NCN press release. “I have admired their effectiveness in supporting nonprofits in myriad ways, from staving off existential policy threats to creating trusted resources and connecting nonprofits so ideas and information flow across state lines. As leader of a statewide association of nonprofits, I saw first-hand how their strategic advocacy the last two years helped usher billions of dollars to frontline nonprofits through the Paycheck Protection Program and other COVID relief programs.
"That work saved millions of nonprofit jobs and enabled local nonprofits across the country to continue operating and providing needed services. So, when Tim [Delaney] invited me to join the team and be part of that vital work, I immediately knew this is where I wanted to be: furthering the high impact of the National Council of Nonprofits and its nationwide network of nonprofits, now and for years to come.”
"Donna has a long history of making a meaningful difference,” said Delaney, president & CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits. “Her efforts in Michigan around the 2020 census to ensure traditionally underrepresented communities were counted led the nation and galvanized efforts in other states. Through Donna's early service on our board and then as chair of our Resource Development Committee, she earned the respect of her colleagues—each a proven leader in their own state or field—who elected her to be board chair.
"The leadership, drive, passion and values Donna displayed when the pandemic struck inspired and benefited people across the country. I'm absolutely delighted that Donna will be a full-time member of our team so she can apply her extensive knowledge and talents to benefit nonprofits and people from coast to coast.”
Twice honored as a NonProfit Times Power and Influence Top 50 leader in the nonprofit sector, Murray-Brown was also recognized by Crain's Detroit Business in 2021 as one of the Most Influential Women in Michigan. She currently serves on the Board of Trustees for Candid and Detroit Public TV, a PBS member station, and as part of the Leadership Council for the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy at Grand Valley State University.
Murray-Brown earned a master's degree in community development from the University of Detroit Mercy, and a bachelor's in business administration from Central State University. She also holds certifications in corporate community affairs from Boston College and strategic perspectives in nonprofit management from Harvard Business School.
The National Council of Nonprofits is the largest network of nonprofits in North America. For more information, visit www.councilofnonprofits.org.