renee@neithercutphilanthropy.com | 313.568.9000 | LinkedIn
Renee Sovis serves as vice president of Neithercut Philanthropy Advisors. In this role, she is responsible for organizational vision and strategy, the administrative process, and communications. As program officer, Ms. Sovis manages the grantmaking operations for our clients, leading our team’s work with the Margaret Dunning Foundation, the Holtzman Wildlife Foundation, and other foundations and major donor clients. Ms. Sovis conducts application due diligence including site visits, financial reviews, and project assessments. She presents her findings and reports on other grant opportunities to the board of directors, and she processes, monitors, and evaluates foundation grants. Additionally, she researches and explores potential grantmaking opportunities for the board to consider. Ms. Sovis enjoys working with both grantmakers and grantseekers to understand their goals and make meaningful connections.
As a 21/64 Certified Advisor (2024), Ms. Sovis assists families and foundations with multigenerational engagement and facilitation. Since 2022, she has served as an officer on the Emerging Leaders in Philanthropy Michigan Chapter Steering Committee. She is a graduate of the CMF Leadership Development & Mentoring Program (2021) and recently served as a proposal reviewer (2023) and on the program committee (2024) for the Council of Michigan Foundations (CMF) annual conference. In 2022, Ms. Sovis joined the Capacity Advisory Pool at Rotary Charities to assist northern Michigan nonprofits with navigating foundation relations.
Ms. Sovis has a Master of Science in Administration, with a concentration in philanthropy and nonprofits, from Central Michigan University. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in interdisciplinary studies, with a concentration in environmental advocacy, from Grand Valley State University. Ms. Sovis is a member of several philanthropy-serving organizations, including CMF, EPIP, the National Center for Family Philanthropy, and the National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers. She recently published articles on how to conduct site visits in the Family Foundation Advisor and A Beginners Guide to International Grantmaking. In 2023, Ms. Sovis was named one of the region’s “40 Under 40” by Traverse City Business News. She is a graduate of Leadership Grand Traverse (2013).
Before joining Neithercut Philanthropy, Ms. Sovis was a small business owner, an organization manager, and a nonprofit consultant. As the owner of a retail business, she was responsible for creating business plans, reviewing sales and financial goals, operational management, bookkeeping, and marketing. As a senior manager of a community wellness organization, Ms. Sovis led a team of 60+ full- and part-time staff, and oversaw operations, communications, and event coordination. In addition, she operated a consultancy that included recruiting and training staff, project management, fundraising, organizational strategy, and executive coaching.
In her community, Ms. Sovis is a board member for Leelanau Investing for Teens and serves as a Big Sister for Big Brothers Big Sisters. She is a volunteer with the Great Lakes Humane Society and Norte Youth Cycling. She has served on the advisory committee for TEDxTraverseCity since 2011 and has been the event lead for the past several years.
Ms. Sovis is inspired by her Michigan upbringing and enjoys the state’s natural beauty while running, cross-country skiing, or paddleboarding. During the summer, she can often be found at a Lake Michigan beach with a good book, her pups, Ziggy and Waldo, and her husband, Wes.