Adele Nandan

Adele Nandan is the Director of Donor Engagement for The Chicago Community Trust and is responsible for the development of strategies for the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of donors.

Before joining the Trust, Adele was Vice President of Business Development and External Relations at RefuSHE and before that role, she worked at Opportunity International as Director of International Education. She is an accomplished international development advisor with over 25 years of management experience in global markets, predominantly in Africa, India, and South America. She has a proven track record of building strategies, volunteer engagement, donor cultivation, partnerships and coalitions among nonprofit organizations, philanthropists, foundations, and corporations.

In her various roles, Adele has worked as a hands-on advisor on fundraising tactics to reach revenue goals and scaling strategy. She has extensive success including six-figure fundraising gains, significant increased donor commitment and giving, and a history of improving donor engagement for nonprofits. Adele has lived in Kigali, Rwanda and considers it one of the most beautiful places on earth. She also runs a tourism business, The JoYOUs Journey, that creates immersive, hand-selected travel experiences that start and end with joy!

Born and raised in the Chicago area, Adele holds a BA in Political Science and International Relations from Texas Christian University and an MA in Organizational Management.