PEAK Grantmaking

As PEAK Grantmaking’s membership director, Sara leads the organization’s efforts to build and grow our network of over 350 Organizations Members and our community of more than 4,000 grants management professionals, all with the goal of improving how grants get made throughout the philanthropic sector.

Sara brings 10+ years of association experience in volunteer management, membership recruitment and retention,  stakeholder engagement, and relationship building.  For more than 2 of those years, she worked as PEAK Grantmaking’s regional chapter manager, during which time she collaborated with volunteer regional chapter officers to dramatically increase engagement and build volunteers as leaders.

Sara started her career at the Department of Defense, training military voting assistance officers to help service members vote and ensuring ballots were sent on time to oversees citizens. She has also worked at the League of Women Voters and the School Nutrition Association.

Sara earned a bachelor’s degree in history and criminal justice from The George Washington University. She loves spending time with her family, is an avid sports fan and museum enthusiast, enjoys hobbies like ice skating and knitting, and can’t wait for her next travel adventure.

PEAK Grantmaking

As PEAK Grantmaking’s chapter manager, Altinay supports grants management professionals within PEAK’s 14 regional chapters. A trained social worker, Altinay considers herself to be a connector of people to ideas, tools, opportunities, and resources. She is passionate about fostering strong networks and communities that promote positively changing society. Throughout her career, Altinay has worked in multiple philanthropic, higher education, and social services positions serving diverse communities, especially racial and ethnic minorities and/or individuals from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Prior to joining PEAK Grantmaking, Altinay was a consultant at Equal Measure, a philanthropic services organization. Altinay served as a core team member on the evaluation capacity-building plan for the Michigan Health Endowment Fund, and the National Public Education Support Fund’s Partnership for the Future of Learning. She also served as a member of the Coordination Hub team for the National Science Foundation’s INCLUDES initiative and Equal Measure’s evaluation of the California Endowment’s Sons & Brothers initiative. Additionally, Altinay worked with the Pew Charitable Trusts on an initiative to improve college access and success for Hispanic immigrants.

Altinay earned her Master of Social Work from Fordham University and B.A. in Social Work from Rutgers University.

Altinay is an avid traveler and enjoys exploring in the U.S. and abroad. She’s also a natural organizer: Ask her about ways to organize any space! Whether in the office or at home, Altinay believes there is a place for every item. She has a deep admiration for efficient use of space and time.

PEAK Grantmaking

Melissa leads PEAK Grantmaking’s work to identify effective, efficient, and equitable philanthropic practices and advocate for their adoption by grantmakers.

Prior to joining PEAK Grantmaking, Melissa was the education and accreditation director at Maryland Nonprofits and the Standards for Excellence Institute, where she oversaw nonprofit accreditation and the association’s learning community.

Melissa is currently a board member at the Maryland Center for Economic Policy. She also serves as co-chair for the United Philanthropy Forum's Program Committee and on the Funder's Planning Committee for the Frederick County Nonprofit Summit. She has served on committees for Independent Sector, the Association of Baltimore Area Grantmakers, the Frederick Giving Project, and numerous other nonprofits in her local community.

Melissa is a self-professed nonprofit dork and accidental techie. She is passionate about organizing people and projects to promote social justice.

PEAK Grantmaking

Satonya Fair joined PEAK Grantmaking as the organization’s first President and CEO in August 2020.

As President and CEO, Satonya works closely with the Board and staff to articulate and implement a vision for the future of PEAK, ensuring a values-driven approach in which equity, diversity, inclusion, awareness of power dynamics in the craft of philanthropy, and a commitment to learning, sharing, and evolving, are integrated and operationalized in the organizational strategy. She is dedicated to engaging PEAK membership and building the organizational value proposition, while also cultivating strong partnerships with philanthropy-serving organizations and the broader philanthropic sector as an ambassador, thought leader, and collaborator. During her tenure, she hopes to strengthen internal infrastructure, grow and diversity PEAK’s funding base, and support an inspired and dynamic staff team while fostering inclusivity, shared values, and high performance.

Satonya brings 25+ years of experience working in nonprofit and philanthropic roles. Prior to joining PEAK, she served as Vice President and Chief Philanthropy Officer at The Executive Leadership Council where she developed and launched a philanthropic engagement strategy and funding pillars for the organization. Previously, she was Director of Grants Management at The Annie E. Casey Foundation where she oversaw grant operations, and served in management roles at Citi, supporting community relations and foundation giving.

Satonya earned her JD from the University of Cincinnati and her bachelor’s degree in psychology and political science from Miami University (Ohio). She is a graduate of the Career Pathways executive leadership program at the Council on Foundations (Cohort 3) and is a certified Prosci Change Management practitioner.

She is an active volunteer, including former board service with PEAK Grantmaking, the Technology Association of Grantmakers and Maryland Philanthropy Network. She enjoys family and friend time, traveling abroad, tennis, a great British detective show, baking, and her love language is organization.

PEAK Grantmaking

As PEAK’s communications and marketing director, Betsy guides the organization’s outreach to members, the profession, and the larger field of philanthropy.

Betsy brings 20+ years of experience in nonprofit communications and association leadership roles – crafting strategies, leading teams, building up communications practices, and developing campaigns that deepen understanding, spark innovation, and inspire action.

Previously, Betsy served as vice president, marketing and communications, at the Georgia Center for Nonprofits, empowering a thousand-member network of nonprofits through knowledge-sharing, thought leadership, and community-building initiatives. At GCN, she also led Georgia’s Giving Tuesday campaign, an initiative that raised $28 million for the state’s nonprofits in its first seven years. Former career experiences include leadership roles in two artists’ associations – Professional Photographers of America and Stock Artists Alliance – and a decade as an advertising photography and video producer.

Betsy has served on committees for Independent Sector, the American Society of Association Executives, and the Tufts University Alumni Association; and as a board member for Theatré du Reve. She earned a Bachelor of Arts from Tufts University and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

A newcomer to the Chesapeake Bay area, she has quickly gained a passion for kayaking, crab cakes, Bergers cookies, and Old Bay.

Meyer Memorial Trust

Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation