Autumn has more than two decades of experience working with foundations, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies at the intersection of strategy, advocacy, civic innovation, and social impact. Through her work with FSG, a social impact consulting firm, Autumn built expertise in providing strategic guidance to large, small, community, and family foundations. Autumn also served the late San Francisco Mayor, Ed Lee, shaping policies and public-private initiatives to improve economic opportunity for Bay Area families.
Autumn currently serves as the Vice President of Community Investments & Partnerships for East Bay Community Foundation, leading their strategic grantmaking, regional collaborations, and team of program officers. Before joining EBCF, she was a member of the leadership team at New America. She served as a senior fellow and head of New America CA where her work focused on issues of economic equity, community engagement, resident voice, policy influence, and narrative change. McDonald’s writing has been published by outlets including Slate, Stanford Social Innovation Review, Project Syndicate, Pacific Standard, CalMatters, and Britannica Parents.
McDonald has a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University, a master’s from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and a master’s from the Northwestern University School of Education and Social Policy.