Mindy Freedman

Mindy Freedman is an innovative philanthropist who is in constant pursuit of creating sustainable social change. A long-time proponent of the power of collaborative giving, Mindy founded The SAM Initiative—a giving circle comprised of philanthropic women who passionately pool their charitable dollars to fund and support programs committed to driving social change and promoting non-profit sustainability.

Mindy created the SAM Initiative with the belief that we have more impact together than we have alone. For the past ten years she has continuously pushed the envelope to creatively adapt, reshape, and expand philanthropy to meet the changing needs of her Los Angeles community. Through this engaged approach, her work continues to inspire others to fund, support and build momentum for sustainable social change.

An expert in micro-lending programs, Mindy spent several years early in her career in Latin America consulting with NGO's and the U.S. Agency for International Development. She returned her focus to the United States where she applied her expertise in strategic planning, implementation, innovation, and executive coaching to individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations.

Named a 2023 Leader of Influence: Nonprofit & Philanthropy by the Los Angeles Business Journal, Mindy is also a Trustee at the Jewish Community Foundation in Los Angeles. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs and Spanish from the University of Colorado, and a Masters in Public Administration in International Development and Spanish from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two children.