Malvern, Pa., June 7, 2022 – Vanguard Charitable, a leading U.S. nonprofit organization and sponsor of donor-advised funds (DAFs), today announced the appointment of D. Deone Powell as inaugural general counsel and chief legal officer, effective June 21, 2022. Powell’s appointment supports the organization’s long-term strategy of bringing critical legal expertise in-house to further its mission and increase donor impact.

Powell was previously the general counsel and chief legal officer for Philadelphia FIGHT, a not-for-profit community health system focused on providing culturally-competent healthcare to marginalized communities. There, he built and led the legal department, providing legal advice to the executive leadership team and the 13-member board of directors in the areas of nonprofit governance, transactional and regulatory health care, corporate compliance, physician practice activities, employment and risk management, and overall strategy.  

Powell, in collaboration with the leadership team, will manage the legal, risk, and governance functions while contributing to the strategy and future direction of the organization.

“We are thrilled to welcome Deone to Vanguard Charitable in this inaugural role,” said Rebecca Moffett, president of Vanguard Charitable. “As the charitable giving landscape grows in complexity, we look forward to having strategic, in-house counsel to continue to navigate regulatory, compliance, and other legal matters. Deone’s deep expertise will strengthen our leadership team and help to drive our mission of increasing philanthropy and maximizing its impact over time.” 

Prior to Philadelphia FIGHT, Deone worked as an attorney and litigator focused on filings and trials for Atkins and Cohen and Zarwin Baum DeVito Kaplan Schaer Toddy, LLC.  Additionally, Deone has given countless hours of board service to organizations like the Gestalt Training Institute of Philadelphia, the Homeless Advocacy Project, and Youth United for Change. Deone received his B.A. in Psychology from UNC-Chapel Hill and a certificate in organizational psychology from the University of Sussex in Brighton, England.  He is a 2007 graduate of Temple University School of Law.  He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated.

“I have long admired Vanguard Charitable’s mission and am excited to be joining such a passionate team,” said Powell. “As philanthropic giving continues to grow and evolve, I’m looking forward to working alongside leadership to execute on the organization’s strategic vision. Together, we will continue to provide donors with the resources necessary to invest, grow, and give assets to charities for meaningful and lasting impact.”

For more information about Vanguard Charitable or giving through donor-advised funds, please visit vanguardcharitable.org. 

About Vanguard Charitable

Vanguard Charitable is a leading U.S. nonprofit organization that fulfills its mission to increase philanthropic giving by administering a donor-advised fund—a tax-effective way to consolidate, accrue, and grant assets to charity. Since it was founded by Vanguard in 1997 as an independent 501(c)(3) organization, Vanguard Charitable has granted more than $14 billion to charity. More information is available at vanguardcharitable.org.