Class of 1985-6 Private Consulting New York, NY

Placement: Disability Rights and Education Defense

Profile:

Paul A. Di Donato has been an activist and advocate in the areas of HIV/AIDS, LGBT issues,  civil and human rights and social justice for over 25 years. He has also held many leadership positions in the filed of philanthropy since the late 1990’s.

Paul is currently in private consulting providing analysis, advocacy, planning, management and other consulting services for nonprofit organizations and private grantmakers with emphasis on civil and human rights, social justice and health and human services. Areas of practice and expertise include research; publications, including website and intranet site content; fundraising; program development and evaluation; policy advocacy; planning; and grant program design, strategies and tactics.

Paul has been a trustee and a member of the National Grants Committee of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS – one of the largest HIV grantmaking organizations in the United States – for 8 years. He most recently served as the Director of Institutional Relations at the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) where he managed IAVI’s foundation and corporate supporters and also spearheaded efforts to secure additional private institutional support for vaccine efforts.

From 1997 to 2005, Paul was the Executive Director of Funders Concerned About AIDS (FCAA). At FCAA, Paul directed a wide array of national and international initiatives designed to increase the scope, quality, diversity and effectiveness of the U.S. philanthropic response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. While at FCAA, Paul also served on the International Committee of the Council on Foundations, the steering committee of the European HIV/AIDS Funders Group and the National Partners Board for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Business Responds to AIDS/Labor Responds to AIDS program. He also co-chaired the National Steering Committee of Philanthropic Affinity Groups.

Paul has held many senior positions in the nonprofit sector.  He served in several roles in the Public Policy Department the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, as the Public Policy Director at the AIDS Legal Referral Panel (San Francisco) and as Executive Director and Legal Director at National Gay Rights Advocates (San Francisco).  Paul was also a litigator in private civil rights practice focusing on prison reform, employment discrimination and other civil rights issues and was appointed a Revson Women’s Rights and Public Policy Fellow in 1985.  He has also taught courses in discrimination and civil rights law. 

Paul has written, lectured and presented extensively on civil/human rights and social justice issues as well as nonprofit and philanthropic practice and management.  He is a 1985 honors graduate of the Harvard Law School and graduated with honors from the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Arts in history.