Our mission is to accelerate giving and volunteerism among young people to create more informed, engaged citizens, starting in Chicago.
A New Membership Community
Emerging Donor Alliance is a member community dedicated to collective giving and action in Chicago. Young professionals (ages 22-35) based in Chicago are eligible to apply, with applications opening each fall. As a member, you will join a community of like-minded peers, attend bimonthly social and educational events, opt-in to volunteering opportunities and webinars, and take part in experiential grantmaking.
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Join a community of like-minded peers and take part in fun, meaningful volunteer and community events planned just for you. Amplify your impact through collective giving and action, while learning about high-impact nonprofits across Chicago and discovering the causes you’re most passionate about.
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Ideal members are ages 22–35, live in Chicago, and are excited to deepen their community engagement through giving and volunteering. Participants commit to the full program year (from fall to spring of each year) and make a $500 member contribution, given as a lump sum or in installments, with 100% of the contribution going directly towards experiential grantmaking. Review our 2025-2026 member guide to learn more.
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Applications to join our founding cohort are closed, but will reopen in fall 2026. Sign-up to get notified when 2026-2027 applications launch!
Meet Our Team
Harriet Spears, Founder
Harriet founded Emerging Donor Alliance after spending 8 years in nonprofit fundraising and communications. She pursued her MBA at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business to accelerate her career in social impact. Before EDA, she launched Trust Chicago, a giving circle that helped young professionals become more connected to their communities through collective grantmaking, for which she was awarded a scholarship from the Obama Foundation. Harriet holds a B.S. from Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy.
Email Harriet at harriet@emergingdonors.org
Samriti Chandi, Partnerships Lead
Samriti joined the Emerging Donor Alliance founding team with a background in ESG and social impact. She is pursuing her MBA at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business to deepen her work at the intersection of business and impact, and has worked across impact investing, philanthropy, and climate policy. Prior to Booth, Samriti was the Senior Manager of ESG at Realstar Corp, and brings her strategic partnerships expertise to connect with EDA employer partners. She holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Toronto.
Email Samriti at samriti@emergingdonors.org
Interested in sponsoring an Emerging Donor Alliance event? Email harriet@emergingdonors.org to discuss, and invest in the future of philanthropy in Chicago.