Elena Pullen-Venema — Vitaes Contributors

Elena Thandiwe Pullen-Venema built her career at the intersection of money, generosity, and community — helping people figure out how to give in ways that are meaningful and financially smart. She's spent over 20 years in the field, moving from founding her own consulting firm to leading gift planning at a community foundation, and now serving as Director of Philanthropic Advising at GiveTeam, where she guides donors and financial advisors through complex charitable strategies. With an MBA in Finance from Temple University and a specialized credential in philanthropic advising, Elena's path shows how a career in finance doesn't have to be just about building wealth — it can also be about directing it toward real change.

Their story

"Give yourself grace — you don't have to do everything perfectly or all at once." Non profit professional

21 min

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Key quotes

“I love my job. I always tell people I love my job. I love working in community. Community has always been really important to me ever since I was little.”
Elena Pullen-Venema, Director of Philanthropic Advising

“I really like how I can be my true finance dork in this job and also work with community.”
Elena Pullen-Venema, Director of Philanthropic Advising

“Philanthropy is a notoriously white profession. It always has been. And there's a lot to be said about the turnover that happens, especially in philanthropy when it comes to people of color.”
Elena Pullen-Venema, Director of Philanthropic Advising

“Only 2% of foundation funding has gone to organizations that are led by people of color.”
Elena Pullen-Venema, Director of Philanthropic Advising

“Just having access to options at an earlier age definitely would have been to my benefit.”
Elena Pullen-Venema, Director of Philanthropic Advising

Career highlights

Cold-reach people doing jobs you're curious about — even a 15-minute call can change your direction.

Elena talks about how 'informational coffee meetings' early in her career were hugely helpful, and she encourages students to call up nonprofits, community foundations, or anyone in a role they're interested in and just ask questions.

A finance background in the nonprofit world makes you rare — and that's a serious advantage.

Elena says 'not a lot of people have a finance background in the nonprofit sector,' and that her MBA made her stand out and allowed her to combine her two passions: numbers and community.

You don't have to be in corporate finance to use financial skills for good — philanthropic advising is a real career.

Elena describes her role guiding donors through tax strategies, donor-advised funds, and estate planning — all financial tools directed toward charitable giving and community impact.

Get into the sector any way you can — temp jobs and admin roles count as real entry points.

Elena was first placed at Oxfam through a temp agency, then hired as an admin. Her bosses there coached her on how to add value, which set her on her entire career path.

Give yourself grace — you don't have to do everything perfectly or all at once.

Elena reflects on the pressure she felt trying to 'do it all' as a working mom and professional, and encourages students to find their own balance rather than chasing an impossible standard.

Know that philanthropy has a diversity problem — and that's exactly why your presence in it matters.

Elena points out that philanthropy is 'notoriously white' and that only about 2% of foundation funding has gone to organizations led by people of color, framing this as a reason for students of color to enter and reshape the field.

Student summary

Elena Pullen-Venema is the Director of Philanthropic Advising at GiveTeam, and her career is proof that you can be a total finance nerd *and* dedicate your work to community impact. With an MBA in Finance from Temple University and over 20 years in the nonprofit and philanthropy world, Elena helps donors — from teachers and nurses to high-net-worth individuals — figure out how to give their money in ways that are both tax-smart and genuinely meaningful. She works at the intersection of financial planning and charitable giving, which is a lane that not a lot of people know exists.

Elena's path was anything but straight. She started out dreaming of being a UN diplomat focused on Sub-Saharan Africa (her dad's family roots), earned a Fulbright scholarship to South Africa, stumbled through a political science degree at Tufts, and ended up falling in love with finance at Temple after an Oxfam CEO basically told her to get a business degree if she wanted to advance in the nonprofit world. She temp-jobbed her way into the sector, did a micro-lending internship in Philly, and eventually built her way up to leading gift planning at a community foundation. Her story is a masterclass in staying curious and saying yes to unexpected doors.

As a light-skinned biracial Black woman, Elena is candid about the challenges she's faced — including dealing with sexual harassment early in her finance career — and she's honest that philanthropy has historically been a very white profession. Only 2% of foundation funding has historically gone to organizations led by people of color, a stat she calls out directly. She's passionate about changing that, and she sees her role as someone who can use financial tools to direct resources toward real communities and real change.

For students of color thinking about finance, nonprofits, or philanthropy, Elena's story is especially relevant because she shows that you don't have to choose between making money and making a difference. You also don't have to have it all figured out. Her biggest advice: reach out to people doing work you're curious about. Informational interviews — even 15-minute Zoom calls — changed her trajectory, and she genuinely wants students to do the same with her.