Tamela Luce

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

SKILLS

ABOUT TAMELA LUCE

I became a grantmaker by accident.When I started at Women\'s Way as the receptionist let\'s call it 25 years ago, I was handed a small grantmaking program no one else wanted to manage. I knew nothing about grantmaking, but dug into the program. The grants maxed out at and were decided by an ever-changing group of volunteers. I ended up falling in love with philanthropy and working with a committed group of people to distribute money in a thoughtful manner. So as I rose through the organization, I retained this fund. When Women\'s Way decided to expand its giving, I became Director of Grantmaking and led processes to create new grantmaking programs that met both the organization\'s goals and the community\'s needs.At HealthSpark Foundation, I experienced a new way of grantmaking through systems change. As Senior Program Officer, I had the freedom to explore - with the nonprofit community and my fellow funders - how to collectively improve how systems operate. I added new tools in my grantmaking toolbelt: strategic investments; collaboration, convening, and collective impact; creating various learning communities; policy work. And I managed larger grants, up to I collaborated with other organizations to reinvent the emergency food system in Montgomery County, a task thornier than expected. Still, we made progress and created a network where none existed.Now at the helm of the Phoenixville Community Health Foundation, I can bring all of my experience in grantmaking, management, and collaboration to make the greater Phoenixville area one of the healthiest places to live in Pennsylvania. It\'s challenging work, and requires keeping more balls in the air than I\'ve ever had to, but the rewards are even sweeter in a close knit and caring community like Phoenixville. I recognize and celebrate how lucky and honored I am to be here.Over my career I have come to trust the decisions of groups of dedicated individuals, whether a volunteer grantmaking committee or collection of nonprofit leaders. I find this work humbling, powerful, occasionally frustrating, and most of all rewarding. Not all accidents are bad.Specialties: relationship building | bringing disparate groups together for work towards a common goal | nonprofit management | meeting planning and facilitation | event planning and execution | program development and management | superior cat herding skills.