Iris Bieri

Name: Iris Bieri 
Pronouns: she/her/hers 
Title: Vice President of Public Policy 
Phone: 614.224.1344 
Email: [email protected]  

Here’s what I can help you with: 

1. Questions regarding Philanthropy Ohio's state and federal public policy agenda, advancing policies that strengthen Ohio's communities and the charitable sector. 
2. Identifying meaningful opportunities for learning, advocacy, leadership and collective action.  
3. Providing practical guidance including policy briefs, action alerts and educational resources. 
4. Guidance on government engagement and signature advocacy initiatives, including Foundations on the Hill in Washington, D.C., Philanthropy at the Statehouse in Columbus and other public policy events. 

What’s your role at Philanthropy Ohio? 

I lead Philanthropy Ohio’s state and federal public policy strategy, advocating for policies that strengthen communities and the philanthropic sector. I work to translate legislative developments into actionable guidance, represent the organization before policymakers and mobilize members to engage in advocacy. I build strategic partnerships and coalitions, lead key advocacy initiatives, and oversee the public policy team and external consultants. As a member of the Leadership Team, I contribute to organizational strategy and collaborate across departments to advance policy priorities, strengthen member engagement and expand philanthropy’s collective impact.  

What’s the best part about your job?  

What I love about the intersection of public policy and philanthropy is the opportunity to have meaningful and long-term impact on people’s lives. The origins of the word “philanthropy” comes from two Greek words, “philo” and “anthropos,” which roughly translate as the “love of humanity.” I think we can all use a little more love for our fellow humans these days. I also like to think of it as the guiding spirit of my work, putting my energy towards the benefit of the common good for all Ohioans.   

When did you start work at Philanthropy Ohio?. 

October 2026, just in time for Philanthropy Forward ’26!   

Career background/education? 

I have had about 20 years of experience in philanthropic, government and nonprofit leadership, broadly focusing on advancing systemic change through public policy, advocacy and coalition building. Most recently I served as Chief of Staff at Rochester Area Community Foundation, where I revitalized its public policy program and established a statewide community foundation advocacy coalition. Prior to that role I served as Chief of Staff for a New York State Assemblymember, gaining direct experience in state government. I also worked for about a decade in New York City and Washington, D.C., focusing on foreign policy as Deputy Director of The Iran Project. In that role we built a coalition of senior statesmen and diplomats to advise U.S. policy with Iran, engaging in backchannel diplomacy and conducting regular meetings with members of Congress, State Department, Department of Defense and the White House. I have also worked in human rights, conflict resolution and am a certified mediator in the state of New York.   

I have a bachelor of arts degree in sociology and anthropology from Earlham College and a master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University.  

Current city, what you like about it and your hometown?  

After two decades in New York, I returned with my family to my hometown of Yellow Springs, Ohio, and we couldn’t be happier to be back. It is such a unique community, filled with passionate, smart and creative people, and surrounded by hundreds of acres of protected green space. We love to walk and bike everywhere, run into friends and family and be a part of a community which cares deeply about the place we call home. Yellow Springs really punches above its weight for a town its size, as our local restaurants, easy access hiking trails and cultural offerings are exceptional. It was a beautiful place to grow up and now it’s a wonderful place to raise kids of my own.  

What’s something people might not know about you? 

I speak Spanish! I lived in Santiago, Chile for a couple of years before and during college. I have traveled extensively around the world, especially in Europe, South America and the Middle East. I have four siblings, three of whom have spouses from Latin America, so we are a big and close-knit family that speaks a lot of “Spanglish” together.    

What do you do outside of work? 

I am a bit of a foodie, and love to cook, bake and enjoy exploring culinary offerings wherever I go. I also love to garden, and spend time in nature, hiking, biking, walking and spending time by the water or a good bonfire on clear nights. I am currently assistant coaching my daughter’s soccer team, and I sing in a community choir with my mom. But what I like to do most is spend time with my incredible kids, and experiencing the world through their eyes, and with my lovely husband, who is an environmental historian and spends a lot of time thinking about whales.