Meet your Rootstock Team.
Rootstock Philanthropy provides creative and impactful solutions to meet our client’s fundraising aspirations. We offer practical, best-in-class client service and real-time fundraising advice anywhere, anytime.
“Choosing a Rootstock determines tree size and time to first harvest, helps young scionwood develop and shapes the nature of the tree—and the orchard—for generations to come. Growing an advancement program requires very similar choices, and it’s how we approach our work here at Rootstock.”
In early 2020, Brad founded Rootstock Philanthropy, a fully virtual fundraising advisory firm, delivering practical, world-class strategic advice to nonprofit clients worldwide. Brad’s early career in fundraising included Major Gift Officer Roles at Colby College and Tulane Law School, but after Hurricane Katrina relocated his family to New England, Brad joined MIT’s Office of Leadership Giving in 2005. Over the next 11 years, Brad worked to help secure over $100M in individual gifts, lead the development and implementation of MIT’s first Talent Management Program for The Office of Leadership Giving, and eventually assumed the role of Director of Strategic Initiatives for MIT.nano, the largest basic research project in MIT history, leading to several signature initiatives, including the MIT-IBM Intelligence Initiative, a $240M partnership.
In late 2016, Brad joined the American Technion Society (ATS) as Associate Vice President for Development. While at ATS, Brad lead collaborative fundraising efforts between The Technion and Cornell Tech, earning a promotion to Executive Director of Development, leading a team of 20 fundraisers, and helping the Technion achieve record fundraising results in FY’18 and FY’19.
Today he lives outside of Portland, Maine with his wife, Peg and two daughters, Elle and Eve. And when not working on Rootstock, he can be found tending to his heirloom apple orchard, cooking, exercising, and being outdoors with his family.
“Building a culture of philanthropy requires a practical and focused approach informed by real-world experience. It also means going beyond the transactional expectations of fundraising, and it’s how we approach all client engagements at Rootstock.”
Prior to joining Rootstock, Chris served as the Executive Vice President of Institutional Advancement and Executive Director of the College of Charleston Foundation. There, he lead a coordinated, campus-wide approach to university development, alumni relations, stewardship, and advancement services. Chris was also responsible for overseeing institutional funds management and growing the endowed funds held for the College of Charleston by the College of Charleston Foundation, working in close partnership with the President, executive team and volunteer boards.
Tobin joined the College of Charleston in November 2009 as Vice President of Development, where he lead BOUNDLESS, the College of Charleston’s largest-ever comprehensive fundraising campaign. BOUNDLESS surpassed its $125M goal by raising more than $138 million.
Prior to The College of Charleston, Chris worked at Tulane University, where he served as the Associate Dean for Alumni and Development at Tulane Law School, and as Assistant Vice President for Development, directing the university’s major gifts department after the 2005 Hurricane Katrina disaster. During his tenure, Tobin and his team rebuilt the frontline major gifts program, provided development leadership to 12 principal schools and units, and expanded the overall major gift prospect and donor pipeline. These efforts helped Tulane successfully complete a $700 million comprehensive campaign, and secure an emergency $100 million drive for unrestricted hurricane recovery support.
Prior to Tulane, Tobin worked for Goizueta Business School at Emory University as a Senior Associate Director of Development and Director of Major Gifts. He has also held positions in development and client relations for the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, SCANA Energy, and Korn/Ferry International. He lives outside of Charleston, SC with his wife Caitlin, son Pierson, and his daughter, Garnet.
Usha Pasi has spent her career serving as an advocate for donors and institutions pursuing their philanthropic and programmatic aims, and she has advised boards and organizations about best practices in governance. Her experience includes increasingly responsible roles at Columbia University, Yale University, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Facing History and Ourselves, the Cambridge Community Foundation, and consulting roles with local and international organizations including Stanford University. Her consulting practice includes work as an executive coach, development and governance guidance, scaling of entrepreneurial organizations, and counseling on building inclusive organizations.
She has been active with numerous nonprofits alongside her efforts to expand professional development opportunities for colleagues in the field – including serving on the board of the Association of Fundraising Professional; as a mentor in AFP’s Diversity and Inclusion Fellowship program; and, as President of Women in Development of Greater Boston. Most recently, she has participated as a team member of HBS Alumni Community Action Partners which supports mission driven organizations in Easter Massachusetts with pro bono consulting services.
Usha holds an Ed.M. degree from Harvard Graduate School of Education and her undergraduate degree from SUNY-Binghamton. She was awarded a Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship in Improved Fundraising Capabilities. In addition, she holds an Executive Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the Harvard Kennedy School; a certificate in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University; and a certificate in Nonprofit Board Consulting from BoardSource.
Rebekah has a passion for forging powerful and productive connections between organizations and the people who can help them. With over 15 years in development and nonprofit leadership, Rebekah has raised more than $400,000,000, led high-performing teams, and created clear and comprehensive project-based and strategic plans.
Her experience spans mission-driven, grateful patient, and alumni-based fundraising and direct marketing. As Senior Director of Development and Community Relations at Sweetser, Rebekah combined and modernized the organization’s development and communications teams, leading to an 80% increase in funds raised in under 1 year. At Harvard University, Rebekah played a critical role on the team that closed a $375,000,000 gift that helped launch the Harvard Global Advisory Council. As Director of Development at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, Rebekah successfully led her team to increased success each year and served on the Dean’s Strategic Planning Steering Committee. Working for smaller nonprofits early in her career taught Rebekah how to capture the hearts of key partners, whether they be billionaires or neighborhood business owners.
Rebekah earned an A.B. from Bowdoin College, where she studied classical archaeology, as well as an M.Ed. from Harvard University focused on leadership and administration.