About Ellen

Ellen Flax is a philanthropy and nonprofit professional who specializes in a) helping foundations, individuals/families, and grant-making institutions create, carry out, and evaluate giving programs; b) aiding nonprofits strengthen their capacity to raise funds, evaluate their efforts, and operate strategically; and c) planning and implementing cutting-edge programming.  On some projects, she works in concert with the highly experienced team at Amplify Partners, where she is a partner.

Ellen is the former Director of The Hadassah Foundation, the largest Jewish women's foundation in the United States.  Before that, she ran the Schusterman Rabbinical Fellowship Program, which helped create a cadre of future religious leaders from both the Reform and Conservative movements who share a broad and dynamic vision for American Jewry.  Previous assignments include serving as: a program consultant to STAR (Synagogues: Transformation and Renewal); a senior consultant to the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation; a program officer for a large family foundation; the director of education and outreach for a public foundation; and as a fund raiser for a community-based multi-service organization.  Before entering the nonprofit world, Ellen was a journalist, and worked for Education Week and the Associated Press.

Ellen earned a bachelor's degree, with honors, from the University of Pennsylvania, as well as a master's degree and rabbinical ordination from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. In her capacity as a rabbi, she has been privileged to serve congregations in New York, New Jersey, Florida and Virginia, and has provided pastoral services at several elder-care facilities.