Kyson Bunthuwong
ASSOCIATE CONSULTANT
Kyson (ze/he) is an explorer of connections, design thinker, and a gritty optimist in the face of challenges. As a dedicated philanthropy professional and social impact nerd, ze leads with optimism, pragmatism, and intention. Kyson’s diverse experiences in the social sector over the past decade—corporate social responsibility, volunteerism, board service, strategic partnerships, international development, collective giving, and philanthropy—all provide a unique perspective that converges fundraising best practices with forward-thinking, community-centered approaches. Ze has led workshops and spoken at various fundraising and philanthropy conferences on the power of igniting the “everyday philanthropist.” Most recently, he served as the Director of Development & Partnerships for Philanthropy Together, a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation seed-funded venture catalyzing the global collective giving movement, a model of giving based on community and democratic philanthropy. His recent interests revolve around how social sector infrastructure, field catalysts, and organizations pushing for systems change can be better supported.
Ze brings over a decade of “in the trenches experience” having managed development and marketing teams at leading international and national nonprofits including myAgro, Village Enterprise, and the Taproot Foundation. Ze has a deep understanding of the fundraising ecosystem and enjoys working on complex development challenges, especially on a national scale. Having worked across startup and established nonprofit organizations, Kyson brings a highly adaptable and savvy mindset to each effort ze leads and partners on. Previously, he was also Senior Director at CCS Fundraising, a consulting and management firm that partners with nonprofit organizations across a multitude of sectors on large-scale campaigns and transformative fundraising projects. Past clients and projects have included UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, Oakland, where ze helped plan and lead the strategy for the close of a $90M capital campaign to build a new outpatient center; St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Vallejo, where ze led a successful $2 million capital campaign to eliminate the parish’s debt; and Alameda Health System Foundation where ze implemented a $50M county-wide campaign to fund the health system’s new electronic health record system and COVID-19 response. Ze’s previous client list extends across various issue areas and causes including the Central California Food Bank, Denver Zoo, YMCA of Silicon Valley, and East Bay Dance Center.
Zir personal philanthropy is channeled through Lacuna, a local queer AAPI giving circle that funds grassroots social justice organizations, and board service with his alma mater and gymnastics team at UC Berkeley. As a Bay Area local, Kyson is passionate about building community in xučyun Ohlone land (Oakland) where ze resides with zir husband and two rescue pups.