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25 February 2021
The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington is pleased to welcome Molly Gravholt to our professional team as our Chief Financial & Administrative Officer. Learn more about Molly’s background, what excites her about her new role, and her outlook on the greatest opportunities for Federation. Read the press release to learn more about Molly’s professional experience.
Tell us about your background.
I’m a native Minnesotan who escaped the cold as soon as I could. I began my career in public accounting, focused on non-profits. I loved working to help further a charitable mission and knew that someday I would make the jump to the “other side.” I later worked as Finance Director of the Foundation for Minneapolis Public Schools, before joining the Minnesota affiliate of Community Health Charities (CHC).
My family moved to Greater Washington in 2011 when I was promoted to CHC’s national Chief Financial Officer. In my almost 10 years at CHC, I oversaw transformative change, including the legal consolidation of 30+ state affiliates into a single nationwide corporation. I was proud to lead the organization’s accounting, human resources, operations, data services, compliance, mergers and acquisitions, and new product development. Most recently, I led CHC’s acquisition efforts, including the merger of four additional, unrelated federations.
What attracted you to the role of The Jewish Federation’s Chief Financial & Administrative Officer?
What attracted me most about this role was the opportunity to see the impact of my work in the community in which I live. I am coming from an organization with more of a nationwide footprint and although I’m very proud of those efforts across the country, I really want to be able to see and directly experience the results of my organization’s mission. I feel very confident that this will happen at Federation—in no small part thanks to the immediate recognition and excitement from friends and neighbors in Northern VA when I’ve shared that I’ll be working here.
What excites you most about this new role?
I am so excited to join this team! I felt such passion and energy from every person I spoke with during the interview process—both staff and lay leadership. It was very energizing. The opportunity to collaborate every day with such smart and dynamic people is exactly what I was looking for.
You are joining Federation at a pivotal time for our organization and our community, and truly, for our world. What do you see as the greatest opportunity for Federation today?
I see huge opportunity in attracting the next generation of Jewish community builders. As a finance professional, I’m particularly excited to meet and connect with Federation’s donors—both current and prospective—and to help build tools that will meet the unique needs of budding philanthropists in a post-COVID world.
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
In non-COVID times my family and I love to travel. With three teenagers still at home but nearing graduation and college, we are trying to fit in as many family experiences as we can. We are also avid hikers and campers—anything to get us outside breathing fresh air!