Dawn Franks

Dawn Franks, President and CEO of Strategic Solutions, a coaching and consulting firm, works with donors, private foundations, and the nonprofit community. She has 40-plus years of experience working with nonprofits and donors nationwide.

She founded Your Philanthropy, serving as President and CEO from 2014 to 2023, where she oversaw grant-making activities for four family foundations and a hospital conversion foundation. Dawn consults with family foundations on a range of issues. She conducts nonprofit strategic planning events and board of directors training.

In her early nonprofit career, she co-founded the East Texas Crisis Center, serving as the Executive Director for 15 years, and later served as CEO of the United Way of Smith County for five years. Dawn spent 13 years with the Fourth Partner Foundation, a giving intermediary.

She has an M.S. in Public Administration from the University of Texas at Tyler. She is a certified 21/64 Next Generation consultant and has earned the Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy certification.

Dawn is the author of two books, The Gift of Giving: Explore Your Stories and Write Your Legacy and an e-book, Giving Fingerprints: Maximize Your Giving on the Causes Closest to Your Heart. Both are available at the website dawnfranks.com.