Emerging Donor Alliance is a new nonprofit community empowering young professionals to become more informed, engaged citizens. Our mission is to accelerate giving and volunteerism among young people, starting in Chicago.

Our goal is twofold: proactive giving, lifelong impact. We want young people to get involved in our communities now, and create frameworks to support sustained engagement for decades to come.

Emerging Donor Alliance is your opportunity to join a social community of like-minded young professionals in Chicago who care deeply about making an impact, but don’t know where to start. As a member, you will be invited to fun, meaningful events throughout the program designed to help you discover new nonprofits in your community that are aligned with your interests, while pooling your donations with others so that every dollar goes further. The Emerging Donor Alliance program model is comprised of four parts: Apply, Explore, Engage, and Act.

  • 1. Apply

    Young professionals (ages 22–35) in Chicago apply each fall and commit $500 to a pooled fund, with 100% of contributions going directly to local nonprofits.

    Submit an application

  • 2. Explore

    Learn more about Chicago nonprofits, explore your philanthropic interests, and connect your values to community needs.

  • 3. Engage

    Participate in five signature, in-person events (in October, December, February, April, and June) at local restaurants and community spaces, plus monthly volunteering and webinars, all designed to fit with your work schedule.

  • 4. Act

    Pool resources to amplify your impact, learn grantmaking best practices, and award a grant to a local nonprofit in May 2026, selected via ranked choice voting. 100% of your $500 contribution will go directly to a high-impact organization.

  • Monday, October 6th from 6-8pm: Introduction to Emerging Donor Alliance and Chicago Community Needs

    Tuesday, December 2nd from 6-8pm: Connecting Your Values to Community Needs

    Monday, February 9th from 6-8pm:
    Introduction to Grantmaking

    Thursday, April 9th from 6-8pm:
    Grantmaking in Action

    Monday, June 8th from 6-8pm:
    Celebrating Emerging Donor Alliance Grant Partners

  • Each month, we will organize weekend volunteering events with local nonprofits, with a focus on small to mid-sized, community-led organizations. All volunteering events are opt-in based on your schedule and interests.

  • For members who want to explore topics related to nonprofits, philanthropy, and civic engagement in a more in-depth setting, we will host webinars with expert speakers and guests. Webinars will be on weekdays, during lunch hours or after work.

  • Members must be 22–35 years old, live in Chicago, and commit to the program from October 2025 through June 2026. We’re looking for people eager to engage in their community through giving and volunteering. Each member contributes $500 (paid in full or installments), with 100% going directly to your collective giving fund.

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

Woman wearing a blue sweater and blue pants presenting a pitch

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