In the Media

TIAA today announced the TIAA Difference Maker 100 Honorees – 100 individuals working in the nonprofit sector who have made significant contributions in their communities and throughout the world. TIAA will recognize each of the 100 honorees with a $10,000 donation in their name to the nonprofit organization they support, totaling $1 million in contributions.

The Difference Maker 100 program launched earlier this year as part of TIAA’s centennial to recognize the positive impact nonprofit employees have on the world. Individuals were invited to submit their own story or recommend others for consideration. The final Difference Maker 100 Honorees were selected by a panel of judges based on their impact, creativity, perseverance and motive.

“We could think of no better way to commemorate our centennial than to celebrate the people we have a mission to serve – the millions of nonprofit professionals driven by purpose and service – and to help enable them to continue having a positive impact on the world,” said Roger W. Ferguson, Jr., president and CEO of TIAA. “We were delighted to receive over 4,000 submissions. Each represents an inspiring story that epitomizes what it means to be a difference maker.”

The 100 honorees represent a wide range of nonprofit organizations from across the United States focused on social impact issues, health and wellness, education and technology, arts and culture, and the environment. TIAA teamed up with Oath and RYOT Studio to create and produce the TIAA Difference Maker 100 program.

Laila Ali, world-class athlete and a prominent supporter of charitable organizations, served as the ambassador for the program.

“I had the opportunity to review many of the amazing stories submitted by people working in nonprofit organizations across the country and was inspired by each and every one,” said Laila Ali. “The individuals who are being recognized today are selfless in their commitment to serving others. I am sure their stories will move more people to do good in the world.”

As part of its centennial celebration, TIAA also hosted a companywide “100 Days of Difference” campaign that enabled TIAA employees to take part in philanthropic and community service-oriented projects across the country. It was the largest employee volunteerism program in the company’s 100-year history. More than 9,550 employees across 51 offices completed 389 service projects that impacted 717,548 lives in 100 days.

For more information about the TIAA Difference Maker 100 Honorees and the program, visit TIAADifferenceMaker100.org.

The TIAA Difference Maker 100 Honorees include:

Ismail Abdurrashid (Boston, Mass.) – College Bound Dorchester

Chike Aguh (Beltsville, Md.) – EveryoneOn

Jeanne Alter (Astoria, N.Y.) – Kennedy Children's Center

Kimberly Appelt (New Canaan, Conn.) – Harlem Lacrosse and Leadership Corporation

Suzanne Baker (Livonia, Mich.) – Blessings in a Backpack-Livonia

Nancy Ballard (Petaluma, Calif.) – Rooms That Rock 4 Chemo, Inc.

Susan Binkley (Monteagle, Tenn.) – Blue Monarch

Melissa Blackmon (Clayton, N.C.) – Donate Life North Carolina

Eva Bornstein (New York, N.Y.) – Lehman College Center for the Performing Arts, Inc.

Caroline Boudreaux (Austin, Texas) – Miracle Foundation

Garry Bowie (Long Beach, Calif.) – Being Alive: People Living with AIDS Action Coalition

Breanna Branch (Oakland, Calif.) – uAspire

Stephanie Burch (Hampton, Va.) – Virginia Beach Justice Initiative

Ron Byrne (Altamont, N.Y.) – Umbrella of the Capital District, Inc.

Evelyn Calip (Harbor City, Calif.) – Evelyn's Breast Friends Forever, Inc.

Rebecca Campbell (Sarasota, Fla.) – Children of Fallen Soldiers Relief Fund, Inc.

Laura Capello (Phoenix, Ariz.) – Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona

Marcelo Cardarelli (Fairfax, Va.) – The William Novick Global Cardiac Alliance

Mark Carlson (Acton, Mass.) – The Children's Center for Communication and Beverly School for the Deaf

Christopher Cooley (Pittsburg, Pa.) – Serving Other Souls, Inc.

Gary Cornwell (Gainesville, Fla.) – Florida Camp for Children and Youth with Diabetes, Inc.

Paula Daniels (LaVergne, Tenn.) – Mid-Cumberland Community Action Agency

Sharon Darling (Louisville, Ky.) – National Center for Families Learning

Lisa DeSantis (Paramus, N.J.) – Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers

Liz Dunbar (Tacoma, Wash.) – Tacoma Community House

Grace Feldman (New Haven, Conn.) – Neighborhood Music School

Mary Ellen Fitzgerald (Abington, Pa.) – Breathing Room Foundation

Sister Teresa Fitzgerald (Astoria, N.Y.) – Hour Children, Inc.

Jaclyn Fratangelo (Pleasanton, Calif.) – Abilities United

Sarah Garman (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) – North Campus Food Pantry for Students

Roger Gonzalez (El Paso, Texas) – LIMBS International

Debbie Greenberg (St. Louis Mo.) – A Million Stars, Inc. DBA College Bound St. Louis

Inger Griffin (Livonia, Mich.) – The Emily Ann Griffin Foundation

Pete Griffin (Nashville, Tenn.) – Musicians On Call

Abigail Harrison (Wellesley, Mass.) – The Mars Generation

Tera Hilliard (Hawthorne, Calif.) – Forgotten Children, Inc.

Barbara Hoffman (Gilbert, Ariz.) – Red Means Stop Coalition

Nancy Hughes (Eugene, Ore.) – StoveTeam International, Ore.

Jill Isenbarger (Pelham, N.Y.) – The Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture

Kanti Jain (Alpine, N.J.) – International Human Benefit Services

Rosemarie Jefferson (Philadelphia, Pa.) – Inn Dwelling

Mary Keane (Yonkers, N.Y.) – You Gotta Believe

Alex Landberg (Des Plaines, Ill.) – Chicago Run

Allan Law (Edina, Minn.) – Love One Another Minneapolis Recreation Development, Inc.

Marianne Legato (New York, N.Y.) – Foundation Gender-Specific Medicine

Shari Lewis (Chicago, Ill.) – Project H.O.O.D.

Dan Lill (Rochester, N.Y.) – R Community Bikes, Inc.

Danielle Maloof (Glendora, Calif.) – Save the Heartbeat, Calif.

Albert Manero (Orlando, Fla.) – Limbitless Solutions

Jerria Martin (Selma, Ala.) – Drug Free Communities of Dallas County

Kerri Martin (Asbury Park, N.J.) – Second Life Bikes

Kyle Matthews (Tampa, Fla.) – Beat Nb Cancer Foundation, Inc.

Michael McGuire (Jacksonville, Fla.) – River Oak Center

Gayle McPherson (Winfield, Kan.) – Eagle Nest, Inc.

Jennifer McVoy (Grand Haven Township, Mich.) – Out Side In, Inc.

Jeri Millard (Jacksonville, Fla.) – In the Pink Boutique, Inc.

Stacy Moore (Philomath, Ore.) – Institute for Applied Ecology

Brian Morello (Oakland, N.J.) – Family Reach Foundation

Sheila Morovati (Santa Monica, Calif.) – Crayon Collection

Rick Nahmias (Van Nuys, Calif.) – Food Forward

Darlene Nakayama (Honolulu, Hawaii) – Palolo Chinese Home

Staci Nichols (Little Falls, N.Y.) – Herkimer County Chapter, NYSARC, Inc. DBA Arc Herkimer

Keith Norris (Elkton, Va.) – World Hope International

Gary Oberstein (Walpole, Mass.) – Above the Clouds

Elizabeth O'Donnell (Hamburg, N.Y.) – Gliding Stars, Inc.

Jodi O'Donnell-Ames (Titusville, N.J.) – Hope Loves Company, Inc.

Lynn Olson (Minneapolis, Minn.) – Language Central, Inc.

John Orr (Philadelphia, Pa.) – Art-Reach, Inc.

Robert Picard (Pocatello, Idaho) – Health West, Inc.

Lee Ponsky, MD (Moreland Hills, Ohio) – MedWish International

Cathy Poznik (Twinsburg, Ohio), Chiari and Syringomyelia Foundation

Tyler Radford (Kew Gardens, N.Y) – Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team

Julie Rasmuson (Stewartstown, Pa.) – Autism York

Diana Richardson (Eugene, Ore.) – Makindu Children's Program

Michelle Roberts (Powhatan, Va.) – Miracles in Motion

Melanie Rodriguez (Nutley, N.J.) – The Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern N.J.

Heather Rossi (Cary, N.C.) – Centerstone Military Services