• Lee Draper

    Lee Draper, Ph.D.

    President

    Lee Draper, Ph.D.

    President

  • Dr. Draper’s broad understanding of issues facing the nonprofit sector comes from over 30 years of experience performing diverse roles in nonprofit leadership and service: as grantmaker, board member, executive director and program manager, consultant, scholar, and active member of local and national associations.

    Since founding Draper Consulting Group (DCG) in 1990, Dr. Draper has led major efforts to shape philanthropy. She served as one of the lead consultants to Blue Cross of California in creating all aspects of The California Endowment and the California HealthCare Foundation. Additionally, Dr. Draper has helped in the formation of 10 other new foundations and assisted in the expansion and enhancement of 12 more.

    Dr. Draper has also supported the transformation of a plethora of nonprofit organizations through her work at DCG. She has designed and administered diverse capacity building programs that build board and staff leadership, effective program and financial management, and diverse fundraising skills, including those sponsored by the Flintridge Operating Foundation and the Los Angeles County Arts Commission.

    Dr. Draper served on the Board of Directors of Southern California Grantmakers from 2016 – 2019. In 2007, she founded the National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers (NNCG). NNCG’s mission is to increase philanthropy and deepen its impact by harnessing the skills and experience of consultants across the U.S.

    Prior to establishing DCG, Dr. Draper held management positions at The Ahmanson Foundation, W. M. Keck Foundation, and California Community Foundation. In addition, she has seven years of nonprofit management experience as a museum director, curator, and educator. Dr. Draper holds a Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology from the University of California at Berkeley.

    Lee Draper can be reached at ldraper@drapergroup.com