ENGLEWOOD, N.J.—Dr. Shelly Wimpfheimer has spent her career at the intersection of leadership, innovation, and social impact. Since 2013, she has served as executive director of The Community Chest, a 90-year-old grantmaking agency based in Englewood, supporting nonprofits across 15 towns in eastern Bergen County.
Her career spans decades of service in both public and nonprofit sectors, with leadership roles at the YMCA of Greater New York, the Division of Family Guidance in Bergen County, and the Partnership for After School Education in NYC. A respected voice in the field of social work, she has held prominent roles in national organizations and taught at the graduate level at Columbia and Rutgers.
I caught up with her on how she found her calling, what drives her leadership at The Community Chest, and the pressing challenges facing families—and fundraisers—today.
Hillary Viders: Your academic and professional path has been rooted in social work. What first inspired you?
Dr. Shelly Wimpfheimer: I actually discovered social work by accident. While in college, I explored various career ideas, but back then, women were often steered toward teaching or nursing—and expected to settle down soon after. My father discouraged my interest in law or the arts, so I became a high school teacher first.
Eventually, I found a field called Program Development, and a professor at the University of Pennsylvania suggested I speak with the graduate school at Bryn Mawr. That’s where I found my academic home. I earned my degree in Social Work Administration, and from there, I was drawn into a world of service and systems design that I hadn’t known existed. Once I began working, I was fortunate to learn from so many smart, inspiring people in the field.
HV: What does your work at The Community Chest involve?
SW: I’m the chief executive officer of The Community Chest. We’re a small but dynamic agency with a long history—founded by Englewood’s mayor during the Great Depression. Today we serve 15 towns from Englewood up to the New York State line. We provide grants to over 100 nonprofits that deliver all kinds of critical services.
Since we operate lean, I oversee everything — fundraising, grantmaking, organizing community coalitions, training nonprofit staff, and engaging new generations. I especially love mentoring young people and helping them discover how they can serve others.
HV: The Chest has raised over $12 million since 1933. How do you decide where that money goes?
SW: We use a rigorous process called the Allocations Process. Each year, a team of board members reviews grant proposals from area nonprofits. We issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) aligned with our priorities — currently health and mental health, food insecurity, educational enhancement, home care, and, for the past two years, loneliness, based on a 2021 U.S. Surgeon General report.
Our committee evaluates which proposals best meet these needs. It’s never easy—requests always exceed available funds—but we do our best to support about 20 nonprofits per year.
HV: What are the greatest difficulties confronting local children and families?
SW: Many of the families we prioritize face poverty, housing instability, food insecurity, and the constant pressure of making ends meet. Parents often work multiple jobs, leaving little time for in-home support. Without nearby extended family, many are isolated.
To help, we fund college readiness programs for high schoolers and just launched an initiative for elementary students to build foundational math and literacy skills. The goal is to empower children with the tools they need for long-term success.
HV: How do you continue to raise funds in such a competitive landscape?
SW: Fundraising is always tough, and even more so now. There are many nonprofits doing great work, and we often compete for the same donor dollars. We focus on education and storytelling—reminding neighbors that our mission is really about neighbors helping neighbors.
We run a yearly mail campaign and four major fundraising events: a fall benefit, our Girls Night Out women’s event, a golf outing, and our annual gala. The proceeds go directly toward our grants and programs.
We also run initiatives like the Young Women’s Leadership Program, the Partnership for Healthy Eating, and our Connections community education series, which tackles loneliness as a public health issue.
Our success is thanks to our dedicated board and volunteers, who give their time, wisdom, and heart to everything we do.
To learn more about The Community Chest and support its work, visit thecommunitychestebc.org.