Monica Spears is a seasoned nonprofit leader and development professional with decades of experience advancing mission-driven organizations across Westchester County and the greater Hudson Valley. She is deeply committed to strengthening philanthropy, equity, and community impact through strategic fundraising, donor engagement, and collaborative leadership.

Monica holds multiple leadership roles within the nonprofit sector. She is the Board Chair of the Association of Development Officers (ADO), a regional organization dedicated to supporting and advancing philanthropy among nonprofit and corporate leaders. She also serves as Chair of the Public Policy Committee for the Westchester Women’s Agenda, where she helps elevate policies that support women, girls, and families throughout the county. Additionally, Monica works with several prominent nonprofit organizations as a committee member, collaborating with fellow leaders to advance and elevate core mission-driven initiatives and strategic projects.

Previously, Monica has held senior development and advisory roles with organizations where she supported transformative programs where her work consistently centers on building authentic relationships, cultivating major gifts, and aligning philanthropic investments with measurable community outcomes. A respected voice in the nonprofit community, Monica is frequently engaged in board leadership, fundraising strategy, and cross-sector collaboration. She is known for her thoughtful approach to donor stewardship, her commitment to inclusive leadership, and her belief in the power of philanthropy to create lasting social change.

In addition to her professional leadership, Monica is deeply engaged in personal philanthropy. She actively provides microloans to entrepreneurs and families around the world through Kiva, expanding access to capital and economic opportunity in underserved communities globally. And for over fifteen years, she has  been committed to raising scholarship funds for students from underserved and underrepresented communities, helping to remove financial barriers to education and long-term success.