Meet Andy DeBraber!

We are happy to welcome Andy to the Kennari team as a Senior Strategist – after 25 years of successful fund development work in a variety of nonprofit sector roles. His positions have included being an executive director in West Michigan and both a major gift officer and director of philanthropy with a national organization. Early in his career, Andy was a newspaper reporter as well as a community organizer around public transportation.

Except for short stints in New Mexico and Iowa, Andy has lived his whole life in the Grand Rapids area. He and his wife Liz raised two children here, both of whom married their beloved spouses in the past year! And his family has a long history of backyard chickens in the city, enjoying both their antics and their tasty eggs.

More about Andy:

How did you get started in fundraising?

Well, you might say it was selling light bulbs door to door in the neighborhood in elementary school. Or maybe pastoring a church and needing to raise money for the budget. Or perhaps learning from Kennari Consulting when we were a client for 5 years! In all of those and more, I got started in fundraising because I was passionate about the mission of the organization and have a foundational belief that everyone wants to contribute and make a difference, financially or otherwise.

How do you unwind after a day of work?

Go for a walk, take a nap, read, play racquetball at the downtown YMCA, grill dinner. One of those, not all!

What are you most excited about joining the Kennari team?

I love having the opportunity to make our communities better, stronger, healthier, and more just! We have incredible nonprofits doing this work and passionate people who want to support it. What’s exciting to me is bringing the organizations and the people together to make dreams come true.

And, I have to say, the team here is great! I know many of them from when an organization I was with for five years worked with Kennari.

Where is your favorite place to go?

First of all, outdoors. I love being outside, whether just sitting enjoying the day or biking, hiking, swimming, or kayaking. Heading up to Traverse City and the Leelanau Peninsula area is always a favorite. Locally, I don’t live far from Riverside Park and regularly ride my bike to and through that beautiful space. My other favorite place to go is anywhere with my wife, Liz. We have a great time traveling locally or further away, to both obscure and popular places.

What is something you’re passionate about?

To me, the two greatest issues of our time in the US are racial justice and the environment/climate crisis. I’m passionate about doing what we can to address both, creating a just world for all and nurturing a healthy balance as humans living as part of our natural world.

Anything else you’d like to share?

Game nights with our family are always a highlight. I’m far too picky about my coffee. I really enjoy gravel biking these days after spending the last ten years doing triathlons (including two at Ironman distance – one officially and, during the pandemic, one solo – surrounded by a beautiful community of support!) In New Mexico, I went to an international school, the Armand Hammer United World College of the American West, and earned an international baccalaureate degree before most people knew what that was.

Finally, I’m deeply grateful to the team here and the many others that have mentored and taught me in this wonderful work along the way. You all have been and continue to be an inspiration!