Education Luncheon: Funders Panel

Our Moderator:

Stephen Jakab, CFRE – Senior Associate, Graham-Pelton

Our Presenters:

Julia Douglas – VP Community Relations Officer, Newtown Savings Bank

Julia Douglas is the Community Relations Officer at Newtown Savings Bank; a mutual savings bank committed to the community since 1855. She brings more than a decade of nonprofit experience in development, marketing, and special events, which shaped her passion for community partnerships and local impact.

At Newtown Savings Bank, Julia oversees community programming, including small business education series, personal finance workshops, volunteer fairs, and nonprofit conferences. She also manages charitable giving for both the Bank and The Newtown Savings Bank Foundation, helping direct support to organizations that make a meaningful difference.

Julia is actively engaged in civic life. She serves as Treasurer of the Board for the Bethel Public Library, has previously served on the boards of the Bethel Volunteer Fire Department and the Bethel Chamber of Commerce, and volunteers with Real Food CT. She is a graduate of Western Connecticut State University.

Alli Ganim, LMSW – Senior Program Associate, Community Impact, Fairfield County Community Foundation 

Before joining the Foundation, Alli worked at Bridgeport Hospital within Yale New Haven Health as a Clinical Social Worker in the Primary Care Clinic, where she partnered with interdisciplinary medical teams to deliver patient-centered, trauma-informed care and strengthen connections between healthcare and community-based supports.

Annika Kennon – Co-President, Impact Fairfield County

Annika has been involved in Impact FFC since 2020 and prior to her board role, she served as a Review Committee chair. Through Impact FFC Annika was connected to Future 5 where she volunteers her time working with high school students in Stamford. Outside of volunteering, Annika works for Clear Harbor Asset Management in Stamford. Annika was born and raised in Sweden where she started her career in engineering, moving to New York for work. She spent her early career working in Supply Chain Management consulting before her husband’s work brought their family to Tokyo, Hong Kong, and London. Annika now resides with her husband and three sons in Old Greenwich, CT. She has a M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Joan Panagos – Grant Chair, Near & Far Aid

Joan Panagos is a dedicated philanthropic leader with a longstanding commitment to strengthening communities and expanding opportunity in Fairfield County and beyond. She currently serves as Grant Chair for Near & Far Aid, an all-volunteer fundraising and grantmaking organization focused on addressing the causes and effects of poverty in Fairfield County, Connecticut. In this role, she helps oversee the distribution of more than $1 million annually to over 100 nonprofit agencies. Joan is a past president of Near & Far Aid and has been actively involved with the organization since 2004; collectively, Near & Far Aid has granted nearly $30 million since 2000.

Joan also serves as Board Chair of The Unquowa School in Fairfield, Connecticut, where she previously led the school’s capital campaign, supporting the institution’s mission to provide a rigorous and values-driven education. Her philanthropic leadership extends to secondary education as well, having served as Chair of the Parent Fundraising Committee at Hopkins School in New Haven.

In addition, Joan is Co-President of the Save the Children Fairfield County Leadership Council, a volunteer-led fundraising and advocacy group that supports the organization’s global mission to improve the lives of children through education, health care, and emergency response.

Joan earned a BA in Biology from the University of Bridgeport. She began her career as a chemist and later advanced into senior management roles in international sales and marketing within the analytical instrumentation and data networking industries.

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Thank you to Our Sponsor:

Baker Tilly Advisory Group, LP and Baker Tilly US, LLP, trading as Baker Tilly, operate under an alternative practice structure and are members of the global network of Baker Tilly International Ltd., the members of which are separate and independent legal entities. Baker Tilly US, LLP is a licensed CPA firm that provides assurance services to its clients. Baker Tilly Advisory Group, LP and its subsidiary entities provide tax and consulting services to their clients and are not licensed CPA firms.

Details

Date: Thursday, February 19, 2026
11:30 AM Registration and Networking
12:00-1:30 PM Lunch and Program
Location: The Norwalk Inn & Conference Center, 99 East Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06851

Luncheon Fee

AFP MEMBERS – $45
*GUEST of AFP Member – $50
FUTURE MEMBERS – $55

A BENEFIT for all AFP-Fairfield County Chapter Members! We encourage you to invite a prospective member to an AFP educational program at a special rate of $50.
*Reservations can be made online by the guest, but the Member must attend the event. Walk-in guests will not qualify for special rate. Guests may only receive a special guest rate one time.

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Full participation in The Funders Perspective: An Inside Scoop! is applicable for 1.5 points in Category 1.B -Education of the CFRE International application for initial certification and/or recertification.