DONATE ABOUT PROGRAMS GET INVOLVED MEDIA SUPPORT US GET HELP READY, WILLING & ABLE FOUNDERS, GEORGE T. MCDONALD AND HARRIET KARR-MCDONALD When Harriet Karr boarded a plane from Los Angeles to New York City more than 30 years ago, she was overcome by profound loss. The Hollywood screenwriter had just learned of the suicide of April Savino, a 19-year-old homeless girl she had shadowed in Grand Central Terminal for a screenplay. Harriet had traveled to New York to capture the dreams of this girl, who struggled with addiction and poverty. Now, she was returning to say her goodbyes. While Harriet was on the plane, George McDonald sat in his tiny Single Room Occupancy unit, preparing April’s eulogy. Speaking on behalf of homeless people was a duty he met with increasing frequency in the late 1980s. And while the people George served sandwiches to in Grand Central Terminal for 700 consecutive nights appreciated the food, what they told him they really needed was a room and a job to pay for it. That Christmas morning, George experienced another tragic loss: the death of a homeless woman he befriended—known only as “Mama” by those living in Grand Central Terminal—of pneumonia after being evicted by transit police into freezing temperatures the night before. George realized that merely providing clothing and food would never create real change. It was in Mama’s memory that George founded The Doe Fund, named for the pseudonym authorities used on her death certificate. But it was April’s story that brought George and Harriet together for a lifetime of service. Harriet was moved by the passion of George’s eulogy for April and, six months later, they married. Together, they created Ready, Willing & Able to help people experiencing homelessness rebuild their lives. Ready, Willing & Able quickly proved equally effective in transitioning formerly incarcerated men into mainstream society. Today, over 30 years after its founding, Ready, Willing & Able has helped more than 29,000 individuals transform their lives. Though George McDonald passed away in early 2021, The Doe Fund is committed to continuing his vision for generations to come. EXECUTIVE STAFF Isabel Ames-McDevitt Executive Vice President Previously part of The Doe Fund’s leadership team for six years, from 2012-2021 Isabel led the Colorado-based Bridge House, where she created the successful Ready to Work program inspired by Ready, Willing & Able. In her role as EVP, Isabel further positions The Doe Fund as the nation’s foremost reentry model, a solution to homelessness and recidivism that can be—and has been—scaled throughout the United States. She will also help to advance the organization’s robust response to homelessness and continuum of care provided to vulnerable New Yorkers including seniors, people with HIV/AIDS, and others with special needs. John McDonald* Executive Vice President A seasoned corporate leader with expertise in financial analysis, management, and real estate development, John oversees The Doe Fund’s growing portfolio of transitional, affordable, and supportive housing—most of which he himself developed—as well as their operations, financing ,and partnerships with City, State, and private entities. In his prior role as Chief Financial Officer, John managed The Doe Fund’s finances through a period of exponential growth over the course of twenty years. Prior to joining The Doe Fund, John held positions at Salomon Brothers and Bell Atlantic Corporation. He holds a degree in Financial Management from the University of North Carolina. Anthony Mangione* Chief Financial Officer As Chief Financial Officer at The Doe Fund, Anthony helps develop and implement cost-effective, holistic programs that meet the needs of a diverse population working to break the cycles of homelessness, addiction, and criminal recidivism. In addition, he helps in developing supportive housing, using innovative financing strategies and historic restoration to revitalize buildings and neighborhoods while increasing the supply of affordable housing for people with the greatest economic need. Prior to that, Anthony honed his professional audit, accounting and consulting experience working with higher education institutions, large national and international organizations, religious organizations, social services agencies, foundations, cultural institutions and professional associations. Felipe Vargas Vice President of Programs As Vice President of Programs for the organization, Felipe directly oversees all aspects of the Ready, Willing & Able transitional work program across three New York City facilities as well as the services provided to clients in the The Doe Fund’s portfolio of supportive housing developments. He previously served as the Director of Criminal Justice Programs and Project Director of CUNY’s Next Steps Program, building on years of direct service experience with incarcerated men and women. Felipe has led many program initiatives and innovations at The Doe Fund, including most recently the introduction of onsite parole services and special programming for homeless men under community supervision at the Peter Jay Sharp Center for Opportunity. * indicates an Officer of the Corporation BOARD OF DIRECTORS Nadia Block Manager, Block Family Foundation Christian Diez Chief Financial Officer, Two Sigma Private Investments Frank Gribbon Former Deputy Commissioner, Communications, FDNY Melique Jones Director of Talent Pipeline and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP Sunil Kapadia Director, Strategy and Operations, Google Steve Koppel (Chairman of the Board) Attorney (Partner), Sidley Austin LLP Harriet Karr-McDonald (President) President, The Doe Fund Rob Morse Head of Data Strategy and Sourcing, PDT Partners Julian Riley, Jr. Founder & CEO, Harlem Blue Premium Beer David Shapiro Co-Founder and Managing Partner, KPS Capital Partners Bill Thompson Senior Managing Director and Chief Administrative Officer, Siebert Cisneros Shank & Co., LLC Chairman of the Board of Trustees, The City University of New York Former Comptroller of New York City Jesse T. Wilkins Attorney (Partner), Preston and Wilkins, LLC GIVING TODAY MEANS A BETTER FUTURE TOMORROW FOR THE MEN IN BLUE. DONATE TODAY GET IN TOUCH The Doe Fund 345 E 102nd St #305 New York NY 10029 Email: info@doe.org Phone: (212) 628-5207 MORE LINKS Contact Us Careers Financials Privacy Policy GET THE LATEST UPDATES DONATE NOW © Copyright The Doe Fund 2021. The Doe Fund Inc. is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization and your donation is tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. EIN: 13-3412540