Community Highlights: Meet Sophia Fifner of Brave Philanthorpist

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sophia Fifner.

First-generation American and Columbus, OH resident, Sophia Fifner is a survivor, mother, advocate, and founder.

Sophia grew up in small-town Ohio. Her parents emigrated from Jamaica before she was born, raising their two children while working relentlessly to provide for their family the security and resources they lacked growing up.

In high school, the trajectory of Sophia’s life took a sudden turn. During a party she attended with a friend, Sophia experienced what she later understood to be a statistical probability that impacts one in five Black women: She was raped. And after reporting the rape, despite clear evidence proving his guilt, she watched her rapist walk away without penalty.

In the process of healing from this trauma, Sophia became determined to speak up for the many other women who had been in her shoes. The goal was, and remains, simple: To shift the narrative from, “Did that really happen?” and, “Are you sure you didn’t do something to cause this?” to, “I hear you, I believe you, and I support you.”

While attending college, Sophia found an unexpected platform in pageantry. In 2009 and 2010, Sophia made her way into the top five finalists for Miss District of Columbia. Shortly after that, she launched a career in philanthropy and public policy, working first on Capitol Hill as a staff assistant under Senator George Voinovich from 2008 to 2010. In this role, she became passionate about developing strategies to advance social impact.

From there, Sophia became more deeply involved in fundraising and public relations as PAC and Campaign Finance Manager at Nationwide and, later, as Director of Corporate Philanthropy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. In total, she has amassed over 15 years of experience in public relations, philanthropy, and public policy.

Today, Sophia works for NiSource—one of the largest natural gas utility companies in the United States—as Director of Communications and Executive Director of the NiSource Charitable Foundation.

She also serves on the Survivor Advisory Council of the Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence, the Board of Directors of the Women’s Fund of Central Ohio, the Ohio Crime Victim Justice Center, and Marsy’s Law Ohio. In addition to her board service, she is an alumna of the Jo Ann Davidson Leadership Institute, the John Glenn College of Public Affairs’ NEW Leadership program, and a member of the Columbus CEO Future 50 Class of 2021.

In 2022, Sophia launched Brave Philanthropist, a social impact company that provides tools and resources for women who want to do more good. Currently, less than 2% of philanthropic donations support women and girls. Even worse, less than .02% of charitable funds explicitly support Black women and girls. To change this, research shows that women need to see themselves as philanthropists and be exposed to more diverse ways of giving.

Women are more likely to give, give more often, and give with tech. However, the resources available for women who want to strengthen their philanthropic capacity are painfully nonexistent. Brave Philanthropist is on a mission to disrupt philanthropy for all genders and make it easier for women to use their time, talent, and resources to do good in a way that matters.

GET TO KNOW HER

Breakfast of choice? Lucky Charms (two bowls > one)
Favorite band? No Doubt
Favorite utensil? The spork
Style icon? Every character in Clueless
Random thing that makes you happy? Yogurt lids
Cats or dogs? Dogs! Especially my standard poodle, George Washington
Ideal vacation spot? Cabin in the woods
Dream mentor? Dolly Parton
Quote to live by? “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” —Martin Luther King Jr.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Oh, my goodness! It has been a journey that has included many ups and downs. Despite being a serial intrapreneur, I never considered myself the founder of anything. Regardless, I’m excited to be on this journey. Additionally, it has been incredibly fulfilling to work on a company so closely aligned with my personal mission – activating women and organizations to amplify their purpose through philanthropy.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Brave Philanthropist?
Brave Philanthropist is a social impact company that provides tools and resources for women who want to do more good. Currently, less than 2% of philanthropic donations support women and girls. Even worse, less than .02% of charitable funds explicitly support Black women and girls. To change this, research shows that women need to see themselves as philanthropists and be exposed to more diverse ways of giving.

Women are more likely to give, give more often, and give with tech. However, the resources available for women who want to strengthen their philanthropic capacity are painfully nonexistent. Brave Philanthropist makes it easier for women to use their time, talent, and resources to do good in a way that matters by sharing stories and highlighting giving resources to help women accomplish their charitable goals.

For more information, visit www.bravephilanthropist.com

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
I’ll share some sage advice that’s hard for any go-getter, Type-A, enneagram 1 or 3 personality to accept – it’s okay to go slow before you go fast. I received this sound advice from an entrepreneurship professor at The Ohio State University, and I remind myself of this message every day.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sophiafifner.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/sophiafifner
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/sophiafifner
• Other: www.bravephilanthropist.com