BIG Gratitude from Our Founder

Dear Friends,

Since the earliest days of SEED in 2003, my passion has been to assist nonprofit founders, leaders and their organizations to thrive. As I step away from SEED Impact, I am thrilled that together we have built a sustainable, thriving organization. 

SEED Impact’s best is yet to come!   I hope you’ll find ample opportunities to connect with SEED’s new Co-Directors and new Board Chair:  

Sonja Schappert Howden brings to SEED Impact a passion for evaluation, a Master's in Nonprofit Administration, and six years of experience as a SEED client.  She has served San Francisco Tenderloin youth and families for more than 12 years and is now spearheading SEEDing Stronger Together Tenderloin, with the goal for all 3,500 local youth to be served across 25+ Tenderloin-based, youth-serving nonprofits working together.  Sonja’s expertise ranges from leading youth programs to operations, fundraising, consulting, running her own small business, and so much more.

Tracey Thomas, PsyD, first joined SEED Impact as Deputy Director in 2021.  She achieved immediate irreplaceable status, assisting in every aspect of SEED operations, such that her role rapidly changed to Chief Operating Officer.  Prior to SEED, Tracey counseled, taught and coached people of all ages from over 30 countries and founded a successful community mental health facility.  You won’t find a more supportive, helpful, attuned soul to assist your organization in meeting whatever your needs may be.   

Daniel Bloomfield, MD, has contributed to SEED Impact’s development since he first joined our “pre-board” in 2003 and has been engaged with SEED ever since.  A Rhodes Scholar and a cardiologist, Dan has created and supported diverse charitable organizations within and beyond SEED, while evolving his professional career from Associate Professor of Medicine at Columbia University, to serving in a range of research and executive leadership roles at Merck over 14 years, then co-leading multiple start-ups, including serving as Chief Medical Officer of Anthos Therapeutics which was recently acquired by Novartis.  As Dan steps back from his career in medicine, he has stepped up as SEED’s board chair, contributing to long-term stability and growth. 

Knowing this team and knowing you, I could not be more confident or more excited about SEED’s future. 

Together over the years, SEED Impact has assisted 350+ nonprofit programs and, by extension, improved the lives of 100,000+ individuals.  With your help, SEED Impact continues to equip nonprofit leaders with what they need to tell their stories, demonstrate their impact, and flourish.  

Personally, I’ve loved each minute of this work. My every hour of every day was inspired by the extraordinary nonprofit leaders we have been blessed to support.  My marathon-like lifestyle would not have been sustainable (much less a constant joy) without God and the incredible support of my husband, Herndon,  family, fiercely invested colleagues (especially my long-term collaborator Dr. Barry Kibel, and in the early days, co-founder Carlos Monteagudo and dialogue guru, Danny Martin), friends and board members (especially two outstanding Board Chairs, Sukey Wagner and Louise Packard, and long-time “coach,” Jim Stuart), partner organizations and supporters.   

You are the heroes and heroines of our SEED story.  I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you have done and especially for who you are.    

I hope you’ll join us in raising a virtual glass to SEED and its next chapter.

WHEN:  Thursday, November 13, 5-6 pm ET

WHERE:  RSVP here and you’ll receive a Zoom invitation 

I look forward to seeing you then.

My Love and Gratitude,

Melinda Lackey

Co-founder and President

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Melinda Lackey is Co-founder of SEED Impact, which has coached hundreds of nonprofit initiatives to communicate and coordinate action more efficiently, sustain higher performance and report greater social impact.