Gregory Grinley

Gregory Grinley joined Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE) as Senior Strategist in February 2012. In this role, Grinley is leading strategic planning and new opportunity exploration as well as overseeing facilities, operations, HR and IT.

Grinley brings nearly 20 years of non-profit executive leadership and fundraising success in LGBT philanthropy, fine arts, and banking and internal audit. With advanced certifications and degrees in non-profit leadership, banking, museum studies, art history and aging, Grinley calls SAGE his “dream job and the ideal intersection of my skills and passions.”

He is a professional and experienced executive responsible for the administration of non-profit functions including strategic and operational planning, board development, financial management, fundraising, staff and volunteer management and development, program development, outcome assessment and marketing. Grinley possesses a proven track record for targeting, establishing and maintaining relationships to build a diverse renewable base of support, financial and otherwise. He increases visibility and credibility for an organization’s mission across varied constituencies.

At the nationally renowned American Craft Council (ACC), which promotes fine contemporary craft art, Grinley helped reestablish the struggling 70-year-old organization in Minnesota. Grinley gained the confidence and inspired the board of trustees, established the development function, crafted key messages for targeted audiences and represented the organization nationally. Within his first year as Development Director, he secured unrestricted revenue including ACC’s first state funding from the Minnesota State Arts Board, quadrupled the number of donors, tripled funds raised, reinvigorated and increased membership by 13 percent, secured funding for new and updated programs, and acted as a key advisor to the executive director and an all new staff.

As executive director of PFund Foundation, a nationally respected, professional community foundation based in the Twin Cities supporting gay/lesbian organizations, Grinley achieved similar transformative success. He planned and executed a multifaceted branding, communications and development strategy including: implementing a successful and on-going Racial Equity Initiative; strategic planning; new staff positions; increasing average gift amount, planned gifts and endowment funds; expanding the donor base; diversifying revenue streams; launching new and innovative mission-driven programs; and dramatically increasing the organization’s credibility, visibility and relationships within the broader philanthropic community.