JENNIFER ASTONE, PH.D.
EDUCATION
PHD. Sociocultural Anthropology -1996
M.A. Sociocultural Anthropology -1993
Research: Negotiating work burdens: Women's home gardens in the Fuuta Jalon, Guinea 1930-1995
Specialties: Gender studies / Economic Anthropology / Applied Anthropology / Ecology and Devlopment
B.A. Political Science, Cum Laude 1984
UNIVERSITE DE GENEVE (Junior Year Abroad) Geneva, Switzerland
EMPLOYMENT
Philanthropic Consultant 2008 - present
Jennifer Astone Consulting Aptos, Ca
Advise donors and foundations on international giving practices and on building networks and collaborations.
Executive Director (2004-2008) / Director (2001-2003) 2001 - 2008
Firelight Foundation Santa Cruz, Ca
Led the development and growth of an innovative grantmaking program focused on direct small grants to community based organizations working to serve children affected by AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa. Worked with Board of Directors, Advisory Board, and Finance Committee to expand Firelight from 3 staff in 2001 with 30 grantees ($800,000 budget) to 15 staff in 2007 with 170 grantees ($4,500,000 budget). Oversaw all programs and ensured Foundation involvement in strategic activities. Engaged in extensive external representation of the Foundation at conferences and meetings. Traveled to all active countries: Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Lesotho, Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Program Officer for Africa 1999-2001
Global Fund for Women Palo Alto, Ca
Reviewed and recommended 140 grants per year. Redesigned database to track grantmaking. Organized meeting of advisory members in Accra, Ghana.
Program Director 1997-1999
California State University, Monterey Bay
Designed and implemented successful tutorial program. Managed 5 professional
staff and 35 students. Prepared annual budgets, developed training program, and
Improved tracking system.
Research Consultant 1996-1997
Academic Affairs, California State University, Monterey Bay Seaside, CA
Conducted needs assessment. Interviewed over 30 faculty, staff and students, to
facilitate their input into program proposal. Successfully proposed rationale and
budget to administration.
Dissertation Researcher 1993-1995
Dept. of Anthropology, Binghamton University Guinea, Senegal, France
Conducted 18 months of social history and agronomic research focused on gender
roles. Employed quantitative and participatory research methodologies in French
and Pular languages.
Grants Analyst 1998-1990
African Development Foundation Washington, DC
Analyzed content and budget of grassroots development projects. Reviewed project
financial, activity and audit reports. Visited overseas projects and offices. Translated
at conferences.
Community Organizer 1985-1987
United States Peace Corps Senegal, West Africa
Recruited and trained villagers to manage anti-malaria program in 12 communities.
Organized and co-taught 3-day health care seminar for 35 rural village representatives.
COMMITTEES
Coalition On Children Affected by AIDS 2004 - 2007
Co-founder& Steering Committee member
Strategic Alliances (donor group focused on AIDS & Africa) 2003 - 2007
Founding member & participant
Funders Concerned About AIDS 2006 - 2007
Non-Board Committee member
African Grantmakers Affinity Group 2001 - 2007
Steering Committee
African Grantmakers Affinity Group 2002 - 2004
Executive Committee
Council on Foundations and European Foundation Centre 2005 - 2006
Joint Working Group on Accountability International Grantmaking
PRESENTATIONS
Presenter, "International Charitable Transactions and Operations: Cross-Border Giving as a Practical Matter" October 2008
Muslim Advocates' Muslim Charities Accreditation Program, San Jose, California
Presenter, "Working with Local Advisors in the Grantmaking Process" January 2007
African Grantmakers Affinity Group Meeting, Tarrytown, New York,
Presented Paper, "The road to Toronto: Organizing a coalition on HIV/AIDS and children"Satellite Meeting: Envisioning the Future: Highlights of the pre-conference symposium on children affected by AIDS. July 2006
XVI International AIDS Conference, Toronto, Canada.
Poster Presentation, co-author with Britt Ehrhardt, "Achieving accountability by supporting communities through small grants" July 2006
XVI International AIDS Conference, Toronto, Canada.
Presenter, "Accountability in International Grantmaking: To Whom and For What" June 2006
Grantmakers Without Borders Conference, San Mateo, CA.
Presenter, "International Grantmaking: An Accountability Checkup" May 2006
Council on Foundations Annual Conference, Pittsburgh, PA.
Presenter, "Girl Child Network and NGO work in Zimbabwe" June 2004.
Foundation Incubator, Mountain View, CA.
Presenter, "Institutional care and innovation" Session on "Orphans and Caregivers - Strengths and Limitations" May 2003.
Chair Hans Binswanger, Sr. World Bank Workshop on Orphans and Vulnerable Children, Washington, D.C.
Presenter, "Small Grants to Africa - A successful program"on panel launching The Guide to Successful Small Grants Programs: When a Little goes a Long Way, February 2003.
COF Family Foundation Conference, San Jose, CA.
Session Co-organizer with Tanja van de Linde (Bernard van Leer Foundation), "Hard Choices: The Ethics of Funding AIDS Orphans in Vulnerable Communities" May 2002.
Council on Foundations, Chicago, ILL.
Organizer and Moderator, "AIDS and Philanthropy in Africa" featuring Stephen Lewis, Suzi Peel and Olive Shoshana, January 2002.
Africa Grantmakers Affinity Group, Pocantico, NY.
Presenter, "The Role of Affinity Groups" panel organized by Rob Buchanan (COF) and John Harvey (GWOB) April 2002.
Global Philanthropy Forum, Stanford, CA.
Panel Organizer, "Considering Civil Security as an Imperative for Community-Based Natural Resource Management" 1999.
Society for Applied Anthropology, Tucson, AZ.
Presenter, "Hidden Lessons from Development Projects" 1997.
Society for Applied Anthropology, Seattle, WA.
Presenter, "The Gender Division of Agricultural Labor: Women's Gardens In Guinea 1930-1995" 1995.
American Anthropological Association. Washington, D.C.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Lecturer, "Research Methods," M.A. Program in Interdisciplinary Studies Fall 1998
California State University, Monterey Bay Seaside, CA
Lecturer, "Culture, Power and the Environment," Dept. of Anthropology Spring 1997
Cabrillo College Aptos, CA
Lecturer, "Gender and the Environment in Africa" Spring 1993
Binghamton University Binghamton, NY
PUBLICATIONS
Contributer, 2007 Principles of Accountability for International Philanthropy. Developed by a Joint Working Group of the Council on Foundations and the European Foundation Centre.
Contributor, 2006 From Faith to Action. The Firelight Foundation in conjunction with American Jewish World Service, Bernard van Leer Foundation and PanAfrican Children's Fund
Olson, K., Messinger, R., Sutherland, L. and J. Astone, 2005 The Promise of a Future. The Firelight Foundation in conjunction with American Jewish World Service, Bernard van Leer Foundation and PanAfrican Children's Fund.
Reviewed, 2004 Making a Difference in Africa: Advice from Experienced Grantmakers. R. Buchanan And J. Booker. The Council on Foundations in collaboration with The Africa Grantmakers' Affinity Group.
Astone, J. 1998 "Incorporating Local History into Planning Documents: A Case Study from Guinea, West Africa," World Development 26(9): 1773-1998.
Astone, J. 1992 "Jane Guyer: Locating Women in Lineage and Household." In Common Descent: Uniting Theory and Practice in Anthropology. Astone, J. and M. Richard, Eds. Pp. 147-162. Binghamton, NY: Abzakh Press.
Contributor, 1991 Jowkar, F., M. Horowitz, Eds. Gender Relations of Pastoral/Agropastoral Production: A Bibliography with Annotations. Binghamton, NY: Institute for Development Anthropology.
FELLOWSHIPS AND HONORS
Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Grant. Guinea, Senegal. 1993-4
Social Science Research Council Pre-Dissertation Fellowship. Guinea. 1992
African Development Foundation, Certificate of Appreciation for Service. 1990
Barnard College, Distinction on Senior Thesis, Political Science Dept. 1984
LANGUAGES
Fluent in French, Conversant in Pular (West Africa), Basic Wolof (Senegal).
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