Stephen Whisnant

Stephen Whisnant serves as Chief Development Officer and Campaign Director for the United States Institute of Peace (USIP.) The Institute, established in 1984 by an act of Congress as an independent nonpartisan organization, is dedicated to advancing the cause of international peace. The Headquarters’ project, a $180,000,000 campaign, will provide a permanent home for the Institute and will include an expansive Public Education Center on the National Mall in Washington, DC.

Whisnant has an extensive background in fund development and general management in nonprofit work. Prior to joining USIP he served as Vice President of Development and Investor Relations at Venture Philanthropy Partners. He also has consulted with a number of national and international organizations, advising them on their development plans and operations. He served full-time as Senior Director of Development, and then as a consultant to Paul Allen, Jody Patton and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation in Seattle, Washington. He developed long-term fundraising strategies for the Experience Music Project, the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame, the Allen Institute for Brain Science, the Documentary Film division of Vulcan Productions, and the Microcomputer Gallery in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Whisnant spent fifteen years in higher education as a senior development officer and advisor, including ten years at Harvard University, working on two capital campaigns. He gained political fundraising experience during his tenure as the Executive Director of the Presidential and Democratic Party Victory Fund in support of the 1988 presidential race.

During his tenure at Harvard he became actively involved in the community service movement, especially among athletes, and in 1993 he opened the doors of World T.E.A.M. Sports, an international sport nonprofit committed to offering rich and dynamic sports programs to all levels of athletes, especially persons with disabilities. The organization received international recognition for its work in advancing educational and medical initiatives through sports events. Whisnant oversaw the production of four documentary films and numerous award-winning educational curricula. He is a recipient of an Emmy Award, serving as an Executive Producer of "Vietnam, Long Time Coming."

He holds a B.A. from the University of North Carolina and a Master's in Education from Harvard University. In addition to serving as Chair of the Kartemquin Films' Board of Directors, he serves as a trustee and director, respectively, for the N. C. Outward Bound School, the Women's Sports Foundation and the Catalogue of Philanthropy. He sits on the advisory boards of K.E.E.N. (Kids Enjoy Exercise Now), PeacePlayers, Inc, and Peace X Peace. He has presented frequently at national conferences, contributes to regional and national publications, and he was awarded a Lyndhurst Prize by the Lyndhurst Foundation for his work and commitment to community service.

He and his wife, and son, reside in Washington, D.C. His wife, Liz, is Principal of the Horace Mann School and Max is a third-grader who loves baseball.