Elaine Chu, embodies the values that we espouse at 21/64: integrity, justice, relationships, and innovation. Throughout her career, she has learned to seamlessly blend SELF and ROLE, to the great benefit of the families and institutions she serves. Based in Seattle, WA, Elaine is a vice president of Philanthropic Strategies for Fidelity Charitable®. Since 2022, she has led a team of philanthropic strategists in the Private Donor Group that advises Fidelity Charitable’s most generous donors on how they can use their charitable resources to meaningfully advance the causes they care about. Earlier in her career, Elaine was Director of Philanthropic Services at the Seattle Foundation. Currently, she is a board member for Green River College, a public community college focused on global workforce development and civic engagement. This month, Elaine will be named the Wonderful Woman of Color with the Women of Color in Fundraising and Philanthropy (WOC)® to kick off Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. Thank you, Elaine, for bringing your authentic self to the 21/64 Learning Community and for enriching all of us with your ideas and the example you set. IN A FEW SENTENCES, WHAT IS YOUR PURPOSE IN LIFE? To make this world a better place for the next generation, personally and professionally. My favorite quote on this is “we don’t inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” I use this as my north star to change the narrative that we lead with selflessness. I want to continue to encourage children, young adults, and parents through engagement and tools they can use to become champions for causes and communities they care deeply about. WHAT IS THE BEST PART OF YOUR WORK? I get to build relationships and meet wonderful families who lead with empathy, kindness, and humbleness. They are intentional and thoughtful in their approaches to giving. I find joy in working with families to connect the dots and advise them in their planning to maximize their impact to nonprofits and communities. WHAT IS A BURNING QUESTION YOU HAVE FOR THIS COMMUNITY? What does success look like to you when working with families in philanthropy? I know we tend to immediately gravitate to the quantitative side when we think about success and impact, but our work goes beyond that as we build trust and relationships. WHAT WAS THE LAST SHOW YOU BINGED-WATCHED? Ted Lasso! The show reminded me a lot about teamwork, relationships, friendships, and how it takes a community to work together.
Cedric Davis
5mo
Congratulations my friend, this is well-deserved recognition of your leadership and commitment to advancing the field of philanthropy!
Lauren Domino
5mo
Elaine Chu, MPA, CAP® (she/her) is a rockstar! So glad you’re celebrating her contributions to the field!
Mari Kim 김마리 PhD
5mo
Elaine, you're such an incredibly grounded and caring colleague and a sister in advocacy and leadership. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition.
Elaine Chu, MPA, CAP® (she/her) is a wonderful woman indeed! Congratulations! You're continued generosity and kindness inspire others to do this work. I'm definitely lucky to have you in my corner!
Patricia Fleming
5mo
👏👏👏 Congratulations on a well deserved award. Working with you is nothing short of an honor! You continue to inspire!
Alexandra Manuel
5mo
Awesome Elaine, it is so lovely to see your values and heart recognized this way. You bring so much joy and care to projects you take on! We need to catch up, miss seeing you!
Congrats! Bravo 🎉 and fantastic recognition, very well deserved 👏.
Thank you 21/64 for the spotlight and love your work to provide tools for families and philanthropic advisors and the values that you bring to this work! Rich Polt Danielle Oristian York Andine Sutarjadi