Maia McGill, CEO of Maia McGill Consulting, LLC and Founder of the Inclusive Philanthropy Institute, is an industry leader with more than 18 years of experience in the higher education and philanthropic sectors. She is considered a notable authority in inclusive philanthropy and co-founded the former Office of Inclusive Philanthropy at the Florida International University (FIU) Foundation, which was the first of its kind in the nation.
The FIU Foundation Office of Inclusive Philanthropy (FOIP) brought together development professionals with community and industry partners from diverse backgrounds to inform, implement, and evaluate philanthropic strategy and programming that promoted systemic change.
FOIP’s targeted initiatives included scholarships and wrap-around support services for students, increased faculty diversity, strong and inclusive advisory board governance, social equity research, cultural competence trainings, and improved health and education outcomes. Within FOIP, McGill cultivated a fundraising team composed of individuals with diverse cultural, racial and religious backgrounds, gender identities and sexual orientations – representation that was integral to the Office’s work and to understanding the needs of the university’s student body. By June 2023, more than $50 million dollars was raised to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives university wide.
McGill’s expertise has been featured in the “Focus Forward Wisdom” series of Marts&Lundy’s “What We Think” podcast. She has also presented on the topic of inclusive philanthropy at multiple conferences, including the Counsel for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Annual Conference for College and University Foundations, the African American Development Officers Network Conference on Diverse Philanthropy and Leadership; and more. In February of 2024, McGill was awarded the CASE Opportunity and Inclusion Award for District III.
McGill is the former Senior Executive Director for Foundation Relations at Florida International University (FIU), raising more than $70 million dollars over her 6-year tenure. Prior to FIU, her roles in higher education included serving as the Director of Community and Multicultural Affairs at the University of Rochester Medical Center. In that position, she facilitated and guided proposals and white papers for diversity research grants and initiatives; and she directed several community-based programs and screenings serving underserved and vulnerable populations — impacting thousands of residents. She also successfully cultivated and maintained relationships with key leaders in both the public and private sectors, including foundations, healthcare providers, researchers, faculty, and community-based organizations.
