Staff

Michelle Greanias

Executive Director

Michelle joined GMN as its first Executive Director in May, 2008. She is a longstanding member of GMN, serving as a board member from 1996-2001 and as Co-Chair from 1998-2001.

Michelle has spent most of her career in philanthropy, serving most recently as Managing Director of Grants, Loans, and Procurement at the Fannie Mae Foundation. While at the Fannie Mae Foundation, Michelle led a grants management team which supported $45 million in annual grants targeted primarily to housing and community development nonprofits, but that also included grantmaking to homelessness, youth, arts, research, and human services organizations. She oversaw servicing of the Foundation’s $20 million affordable housing loan fund and managed employee giving programs for more than 5,000 employees. 

Michelle speaks and writes regularly on effective grants management practices and has consulted with government and private sector grants programs to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of their grantmaking operations. She holds Bachelors Degrees in International Studies and French/West European Studies and a Masters in Business Administration from the American University.

Catherine Downs

Administrator

Catherine Downs is a senior consultant with The Crescent Group, a New Orleans-based firm that focuses on nonprofit governance and association management. Since 2000, Catherine has been the lead consultant providing staffing for GMN. Prior to her work as a consultant for nonprofits, Catherine was an associate at the law firm of Lord, Bissell & Brook in Chicago, IL where she practiced corporate law. Catherine is a graduate of Trinity College in Hartford, CT and received her J.D. cum laude from Tulane Law School. She is a member of the bar in Illinois and Louisiana.