Melanie Newell, M.A.

Melanie Newell is a mission-driven fundraising and partnership professional with a passion for advancing equity and community development. As the Associate Director of Development at Northern, she leads fundraising initiatives, donor stewardship, and strategic partnerships to support programs that stabilize families and empower children and youth across Philadelphia. Melanie also oversees Northern’s marketing initiatives.

With over a decade of experience in program management and nonprofit development, Melanie has secured and managed multimillion-dollar corporate and foundation partnerships, designed and implemented innovative workforce development programs, and led strategic fundraising efforts. Prior to joining Northern, she served as Director of Partnership Activation at NAF, where she worked with Fortune 500 companies to develop career-readiness initiatives for students from diverse backgrounds.

Melanie holds a Master of Arts in Development Studies from the International Institute of Social Studies in The Hague, Netherlands specializing in Children and Youth Studies.

She is committed to fostering meaningful connections between funders, communities, and organizations to drive lasting impact.