As The Leadership Academy’s Associate Vice President of Financial Strategy, Budgets, & Grants, Sarah Stevens Malcolm leads fundraising and development, as well as supports long-term financial planning by developing processes, metrics, and modeling that drive strategy. She plays a central role in creating, implementing, and tracking the annual budget as well as cultivating donor relationships, identifying new funding opportunities, and aligning philanthropic support with organizational priorities.
Sarah first joined the organization in 2013 as Associate Director of National Initiatives, serving as a project manager for client engagements. She was later promoted to Senior Director of Learning & Strategy, facilitating professional learning and coaching for school and system leaders to strengthen leadership and drive positive change for students. Her programmatic experience now informs her work in finance and development, enabling her to direct The Leadership Academy’s funding strategies toward professional learning that most benefits education leaders.
She began her career as a high school music teacher before moving into arts education with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts, and ultimately, the Brooklyn Philharmonic, where she held a variety of leadership roles and helped to launch an after-school arts academy for middle-school students. Prior to joining The Leadership Academy, she was the Director of Education at Change for Kids, where she doubled the number of schools the nonprofit supported and grew volunteer programs into robust supports for high-needs elementary schools in New York City.
Sarah holds a Master of Arts in Nonprofit Management from Brooklyn College and a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education and Opera Performance from the University of Texas, Austin. She is based in Houston, Texas.
