Zachary Nieder

2022 40 Under Forty Awards
Zachary Nieder, 36
Senior strategic initiative officer, Rhode Island Foundation


How has COVID-19 changed your industry? It has accelerated broader trends for philanthropic organizations to be nimbler and more responsive while also increasing the need to implement best practices that reduce the burden on grantees.

What is the best advice you have ever received? My second grade teacher always told our class not to compare your “insides” to other peoples’ “outsides.” I think this still holds up.

What was your first job? Trying, and often failing, to avoid splashing hot oil on myself working at a fried-food stand at an agricultural fair.

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What moment changed your life more than any other? Being introduced by a friend to the person who would become my wife.

What is your greatest attribute that you bring to your job? I strive to be a careful listener and close observer who does not offer facile answers to complex problems but instead focuses on consensus building and synthesizing diverse viewpoints.

What led you to pursuing a career in your current industry? This is my first job in philanthropy, but the overarching focus of my career thus far has been working to address the social determinants of health. This has included work centered on the role that hospitals and other health care organizations play within their communities, as well as bringing a public health lens to economic and community planning.