Fundraising leader brings experience in national partnerships, philanthropy, and community impact

We’re thrilled to welcome Ashley Howard, MPA, CFRE, to Blessings in a Backpack as our new vice president of development. Ashley will lead the organization’s central fundraising work and partner with regional fundraising teams to build support for our mission: to provide food for the weekends to school-aged children across America.

Ashley’s career spans political fundraising, corporate partnerships, and nonprofit development. Most recently, she served as a fundraising director for federal and statewide political campaigns while providing fundraising strategy and consulting to small and midsize campaigns.

She previously served as senior corporate partnerships manager at Feeding America’s national office in Chicago. In that role, she developed corporate partnerships, led cause marketing and employee engagement initiatives, and facilitated philanthropic investments focused on addressing the root causes of food insecurity.

Ashley has also put her fundraising experience to work in her own community. As chair of the DuPage Township Food Pantry, she led efforts to equip and outfit a new state-of-the-art facility scheduled to open in early 2027. She has also led development efforts for national and local nonprofit organizations throughout her career.

“I’m honored to serve as vice president of development at Blessings in a Backpack,” said Ashley. “This is a mission that means so much to me, and I’m stepping into this role with a deep commitment to making sure children have access to the food they need to thrive, especially on the weekends. The need is real, and the moment is urgent. Too many families are facing food insecurity and uncertainty about critical supports like SNAP and school meals. I’m ready to roll up my sleeves, build strong partnerships, and bring people together around a simple but powerful goal: making sure every child goes home for the weekend knowing they’ll have something to eat.”

Ashley earned her bachelor’s degree from Western Michigan University and her Master of Public Administration from Rutgers University. She is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) and lives in the Chicago area with her husband and two sons, where she makes time for two of her favorite things outside of work: food and fitness.

With Ashley on board, Blessings in a Backpack is ready to deepen relationships, open new doors, and bring more people into the work of making sure children have steady weekend nutrition.