The Sheltering Arms Foundation’s current associate director, Diane Grossman, has been unanimously named the next executive director by the board of trustees and will step into this position on July 1. The Sheltering Arms Foundation is a supporting organization of the Episcopal Church of Minnesota. Denise Mayotte, current executive director of the foundation, will retire on June 30.

“I am so pleased that Diane Grossman has been chosen as Sheltering Arms’ new executive director by our board,” said Denise Mayotte, Sheltering Arms’ retiring executive director. “She knows Sheltering Arms inside and out, and she cares passionately for the foundation’s mission of serving children and families who have the least access to resources. We have worked closely for 20 years, so this will be a seamless transition when I retire. I know she will do an outstanding job leading the foundation forward.”

“As chair of the grants committee,” said Heidi Kim, Sheltering Arms board member, “I have had the pleasure of working closely with Diane on every step of our granting process. She has been a visionary thought partner, encouraging us to dream big while also helping us to stay grounded in the practicalities of reviewing and approving grant applications. Her commitment to SAF has been extraordinary, and I am thrilled that she will bring her experience and creativity to lead us into a new era.”

Diane Grossman joined Sheltering Arms in March 2001. Over her 22 years serving with Sheltering Arms, she has worked closely with hundreds of grantees and has worked in all aspects of operating the foundation. She has led the strategic direction of the foundation’s grantmaking practices to help improve the experience of grantees, trustees, and other partners. She is passionate about seeing the foundation’s work through an equity lens and continuing to seek ways to improve equity and accessibility.

“The board is thrilled to have Diane Grossman as the next executive director,” said board president Cecily Cutshall. “Diane’s strong leadership within the grantmaking community has brought innovation and thoughtful implementation of updated practices. Diane is up to the challenge of leading the foundation into its next chapter.”

“As chair of the Stewardship Committee, I have had the pleasure of working closely with Diane on investment, audit, and budget issues,” said Cynthia Swan, board member and incoming board president. “It is an understatement to say that Diane is a highly qualified leader. She is also a creative thinker and has many exciting ideas for expanding Sheltering Arms’ work and partnerships. I look forward to working with her to bring these ideas into being.”

“I am beyond thrilled to be named the new executive director,” said Diane Grossman. “I feel blessed to carry on the legacy of those who have come before me, and I look forward to continuing the work with our grantee and advocacy partners. In this new chapter of the organization’s history, I am excited to work in collaboration with my board of trustees in identifying new possibilities within our direct grantmaking practices and our advocacy/coalition efforts.”

Diane Grossman came to Minnesota following her career at the State Bar of Wisconsin, serving as executive coordinator of the Board of Governors and the administrator of the Wisconsin Law Foundation. She is currently serving as co-chair of the national PEAK Grantmaking Small Foundation Affinity Group, is a member of the WCA Foundation, and is a volunteer with Bags of Hope. Grossman earned her BBA in marketing with an accounting minor from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, with graduate studies in psychology and law at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Grossman earned her Certificate of Financial Management for Nonprofit Organizations from the Center for Nonprofit Management at the University of St Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. She is currently working toward attaining her Certificate of Fundraising at Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. In her free time, she enjoys genealogy, reading, live music and theater, travel, and sporting events.

The Sheltering Arms Inclusion Statement
The Sheltering Arms Foundation celebrates the diversity of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, physical ability, class, religion and geographic location of the children and families it serves across Minnesota. We seek to create equal access to resources in order to build a just society in which all children may reach their full potential.

About the Sheltering Arms Foundation
The mission of the Sheltering Arms Foundation is to invest in the lives of children and help them reach their full potential. Based in Minneapolis, the foundation funds nonprofit organizations and supports policies that benefit Minnesota children and their families who have the least access to resources. Since its inception as a grantmaking foundation in 1983, the foundation has provided more than 1,390 grants totaling just over $17.25 million. The next deadline for grant applications is in January 2024. For information about submitting a grant request, volunteering, or donating to the foundation, visit https://sheltering-arms.org/ or call 612-871-9210 (toll-free: 866-871-9210).