The Guttmacher Institute announced today that Wendy Sealey (she/her/hers), a seasoned professional with 20 years of nonprofit management and fundraising experience, has been selected to serve as the Institute’s new Vice President for Development, following a competitive and extensive search. Ms. Sealey will join the team on September 13. She succeeds Jonathan Wittenberg, who now serves as Executive Vice President.
"I am delighted to welcome Wendy Sealey to the Guttmacher Institute and to our Executive Leadership Team. We are excited to have her expertise, vision and commitment to help lead Guttmacher through this time of change, as we slowly emerge from the pandemic and continue our vital work to advance sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR)," says Dr. Herminia Palacio, President and CEO of the Guttmacher Institute.
"I am honored to join the Guttmacher Institute as their next Vice President for Development," says Ms. Sealey. "The movement for health and reproductive rights is at a critical moment, and each news cycle confirms the urgent need for supporting the Guttmacher Institute’s essential work. I’m excited to work with Dr. Palacio, the Development Team and the rest of the staff to restore and advance SRHR in the United States and globally."
With the recruitment of Ms. Sealey, the Guttmacher Institute completes its Executive Leadership Team, after changes announced in late 2019 to reconfigure the organization’s executive management team to strategically position Guttmacher to lead and respond to the rapidly changing landscape around sexual and reproductive health and rights, domestically and globally.
Ms. Sealey joins the Guttmacher Institute from the New York affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union, the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU), where she has served as Chief Development Officer. During her tenure at the NYCLU, she led the affiliate’s participation in the ACLU’s Centennial Campaign, raising funds for a range of issues and projects, including millions to expand the organization’s racial justice portfolio, seeding new initiatives on policing policy, economic justice, fair housing, education policy and environmental racism.
In addition, Ms. Sealey has a strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). She recently spearheaded the NYCLU’s DEI management strategic plan, producing a clear road map for managing with a DEI lens across the organization. This commitment to and expertise in DEI is well aligned with the Institute’s deepened commitment to equity and justice.
Ms. Sealey is also a sought-after fundraising coach, advisor and speaker who has worked with a variety of nonprofits in New York City. Prior to joining the NYCLU, she raised funds for the East Harlem Tutorial Program’s capital campaign, the Bank Street College of Education’s strategic initiative campaign and the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice's multimillion-dollar grant-making program. Ms. Sealey is currently a board member of Women in Development (WID), New York, where she cochairs the Inclusion, Equity and Diversity committee.
Ms. Sealey received her B.A. from Brown University and her M.A. from Stanford University.
About the Guttmacher Institute
Founded in 1968, the Guttmacher Institute is a global leader in advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Through a unique program of high-quality research, evidence-based advocacy and strategic communications, the Institute is a catalyst for sound policies and programs in the United States and globally. Guttmacher produces a wide range of resources on topics that include abortion, contraceptive use and adolescent SRHR. In 2018, the Guttmacher Institute received the United Nations Population Award in recognition of its achievements on the global stage.