Mark Rodriguez

Executive Director, Lohengrin Foundation

Mark Rodriguez serves as the executive director of the Lohengrin Foundation, a family foundation headquartered in Chicago.  For over 50 years, the foundation has invested in organizations and initiatives that drive social impact, promote artistic vitality, and create sustainable change in communities across the globe.

Before joining the Lohengrin Foundation, he served as the chief operating officer for Heartland Alliance International.  In this role, he was responsible for guiding the strategy, global operations, and regional program teams who support international human rights programming across eight countries, impacting over 157,000 participants annually.

Rodriguez has over thirty years of progressive experience in the nonprofit and private sectors. He has devoted his career to strengthening the nonprofit sector in roles such as community organizer, program director, community relations manager, chief operating officer, and executive director.  Throughout his career, he has held leadership roles at Changing Worlds, New Leaders for New Schools, Elements Global Services, Heartland Alliance, and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago, to name a few.  His experience spans the issue areas of social justice, education, healthcare, arts and culture, international development, and youth services.

Mark Rodriguez graduated cum laude from Roosevelt University with a Bachelor of Arts in communications and holds advanced certifications in Philanthropy Management from Loyola University, Nonprofit Management, and Human Resources from Roosevelt University, and Education and Literacy Best Practices from National-Louis University.

Mark serves on the board of Arts Alliance Illinois and is a member of Nuestro Futuro, an affinity fund of the Chicago Community Trust, Chicago Latinos in Philanthropy, and the Trust-Based Philanthropy peer exchange network.

Contributions

Demystifying Trust-based Practices: Trust in Action

Posted on December 7, 2022 by Kavi Waddell, Mark Rodriguez, Laura Jansen

Trust based philanthropy
The philanthropic sector continues to evolve, and many giving families are embracing a trust-based approach to their philanthropy—not only as a mindset, but as a guiding principle across their grantmaking, relationships, and operations. While many families are interested in and willing to adopt trust-based practices, it isn’t always clear how and when to utilize specific trust-based approaches and what they… Read More