What does it take to become the most generous city in the country? Learn how the directors of two giving networks in Austin, Texas collaborate and build on their organization’s strengths in our increasingly digital world.
Moderator | Jeannie Sager, Director, Women’s Philanthropy Institute
Christina Canales Gorczynski is the executive director of Impact Austin, a dynamic women’s philanthropic organization that cultivates collective wisdom and strength to transform ourselves and our communities. Christina is also a licensed attorney and certified mediator with the State Bar of Texas.
Previously, Christina served as a program officer at the Simmons Foundation, specializing in advocacy and reproductive health. Prior to that, she was the principal consultant at First Person LLC, a Texas-based consulting firm specializing in advocacy and capacity building for nonprofits, private foundations, and social enterprises.
Guests: Christina Canales Gorczynski, Courtney Manuel
Christina started her career serving as the executive director of the League of Women Voters of the Houston Area, and to this day, will ask you if you are registered to vote within five minutes of meeting you. For her work empowering women and girls to seek equity through education and advocacy, Christina was named an “Inspiring Latina” by Latina Magazine, honored for youth and online engagement by the League of Women Voters of the U.S., received the Young Alumni Award from her alma mater Beloit College, and selected for an Equal Justice Works public interest law fellowship.
Christina never walks away from a tough fight and she’s spent her life advocating for vulnerable communities, especially people living with disabilities and LGBTQ folks. Christina currently serves on the City of Austin’s LGBTQ Quality of Life Commission.
Christina holds a BA in Women’s Studies from Beloit College in Wisconsin, a JD/MBA from the University of Houston and a Nonprofit Finance Certificate from Rice University. Christina is a graduate of Leadership Houston (Class 30) and the Leadership Texas Power Pipeline program.
Courtney Manuel is the executive director at I Live Here I Give Here. She has more than 15 years of experience in fund development, management, and leadership. Before I Live Here I Give Here, she held a variety of positions at the University of Texas at Austin where she advanced to eventually serve as executive director for development at Dell Medical School.
Courtney’s professional experience at UT Austin boasts many impressive highlights, including leading a campaign at Dell Medical School that during her time there raised over $210 million towards a $1 billion, 10-year goal. To accomplish this goal, she worked closely with visionary donors, the Dell Medical School dean, and faculty, as well as key University of Texas partners, to create a case for support and a comprehensive, successful development plan. Additionally, she designed the development department structure and strategically selected a talented team of development professionals to support this work.
Prior to joining the Dell Medical School team, Courtney served in lead positions at the University Development Office and the School of Undergraduate Studies at UT. She has previously held leadership roles in corporate philanthropy, special events and outreach for organizations such as the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago, Literacy Chicago and Jewish Family Service of Greater Los Angeles.
Courtney and her husband Jake have two awesome kiddos, Jordan (10) and Harris (8). When she is not working to make Austin the most philanthropic community in America, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, watching live music, enjoying Austin’s amazing food scene, and volunteering on the board of directors at Shalom Austin.
Think about Austin, TX, and you might think of South by Southwest, the annual ingathering of tens of thousands of music lovers, innovators, and film lovers. Or you might think of Austin City Limits, the longest running music series on TV. I Live Here I Give Here (ILHIGH) and Impact Austin want us to think of Austin as the most generous city in the country. The missions of these two different nonprofits are aligned to encourage generosity among as many people as possible in central Texas.
Amplify Austin Day is a signature project of ILHIGH. Leveraging technology, Amplify Austin raised $12.3 million in a single day in 2020, accomplishing that goal just before COVID-19 shuttered the South by Southwest festival and the city closed down. The collective giving organization Impact Austin has engaged more than 2,000 women across the Austin area, awarding nearly $7 million in grants to 60 nonprofits since 2003.
What does it take to create the most generous city in the country?
DISCOVER
REFLECT and DISCUSS
