Bunnie Lempesis Ward
Bunnie Lempesis Ward is the Director of Community Capacity Building at the United Way of the Midlands. She and her staff are responsible for the management and implementation of the Partners in Compassion Institute, a three-year, $2.5 million organizational capacity building initiative. While the Institute is primarily funded by a Department of Health and Human Services Compassion Capital Fund grant, it is a collaborative effort involving Central Carolina Community Foundation, SCANPO and Women in Philanthropy. During the first two years of the Institute, participating organizations realized approximately $2.2 million in increased revenue and served an additional 900 Midlands-area residents. She has also presented at 2009 and 2010 SCANPO state conferences, the 2010 State Conference of the SC Association of Community Development Corporations, and the 2010 Nonprofit Conference of the SC Association of Certified Public Accountants.
Ward graduated cum laude from Harvard University and received her Masters in Public Policy from the University of Southern California. While in Los Angeles, Ward was a management consultant working primarily with public and non-profit sector clients and served as an evaluator for the United States Government Accountability Office. She has also volunteered with several nonprofits, including domestic and dating violence organizations and a womens foundation. Currently, she is a member of the Steering Committee for Focus on Kids, a statewide childrens advocacy initiative.