Geraldine P. Mannion

Geraldine P. Mannion, Program Director of the Carnegie Corporation's U.S. Democracy and the Special Opportunities Fund.

"As director of Carnegie Corporation's U.S. Democracy Program, Geri Mannion brings a wealth of experience about the role of philanthropy in challenging, improving and deepening the civic dialogue. She has directed the division since 1998, after staffing the Corporation's program of Special Projects for almost ten years. Until recently, the Corporation's grantmaking in civic participation was a subprogram in Special Projects. In addition to supporting projects that focus on improving broad civic engagement, the U.S. Democracy Program focuses on immigrant civic integration, youth civic education, and election administration.

"Separately, Mannion continues to direct the Corporation's Special Opportunities Fund, which is housed within the Office of the President. The fund allows the Corporation to respond to proposals that are important but not related to the foundation's primary foci. These projects are few and often one-time-only grants.

"A generalist, Mannion has spent more than thirty years in the field of philanthropy. Before joining Carnegie Corporation, she worked for the Rockefeller and Ford Foundations. At the Rockefeller Foundation, where she spent thirteen years in a variety of positions, she became a program associate in the international relations program. During a short-term assignment, she also helped reorganize the administrative functioning of its field office in Nairobi, Kenya. At the Ford Foundation, Mannion consulted with its international affairs program, assisting with both grant evaluation and grantmaking in its focus on arms control and security issues.

"Active in professional organizations that work to advance and strengthen the philanthropic and nonprofit world, Mannion cochaired the Funders' Committee for Citizen Participation from 1993 to 1995, an affinity group of funders that encourages foundations to fund voter registration, voting rights, civic education and campaign finance reform. She remains an active leader in this organization and is once again serving as cochair. She also serves on the boards of the Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars and the Center for Development and Population Activities.

"Mannion holds a B.A. in English and an M.A. in political science, both from Fordham University."

• Winner of the 2009 Robert W. Scrivner Award for Creative Grantmaking