THE EVERGREEN TEAM

Diane Lebson, CEO & Co-Founder

Evergreen is anchored by the CEO’s more than three decades of experience in the nonprofit sector. Diane started her nonprofit career at United Way Worldwide, where she helped local communities build major giving programs to advance their grassroots initiatives. She also directed United Way’s national women’s philanthropy program that has raised over $2 billion and mobilized over 55,000 women. After 17 years at United Way, Diane went on to lead US development efforts for SOS Children’s Villages and then ran the national women’s giving program for the American Red Cross.

In 2017, Diane pivoted her career to focus on empowering nonprofit organizations as a consultant. She refined her analytical and business skills by working for a Washington, DC, based consulting firm where she led clients through strategic planning processes, board development initiatives, capital campaigns, and revenue diversification efforts. In 2018, Diane established Evergreen in Maine so that she could live where she loves. She is the author of For A Good Cause: A Practical Guide to Giving Joyfully and a guest columnist for her local newspaper, the Penobscot Bay Pilot, where she covers issues impacting the local nonprofit sector. Diane is a frequent national speaker on the topics included in her book, including women’s philanthropy, fundraising, board development, and strategic planning. She is also a Commissioner on the Maine Commission for Community Service, an adjunct professor at the University of Maine’s School of Policy and International Affairs, and a member of the West Bay Rotary Club.

Eric Lebson, COO & Co-Founder

Eric Lebson, Evergreen’s other principal, manages business operations within the firm. Eric served at the White House as a director at the National Security Council and a team chief at the Pentagon. Before and after government service, he built and ran successful investigative and intelligence practices in the private sector. Eric’s focus within Evergreen is on data – collecting it, analyzing it, and presenting it in a way that informs organizational decision-making.

Eric leverages his experience devising and executing complex plans in the government to support nonprofit clients on strategic planning and institutional change initiatives. His experience in the private sector provides context that is sometimes missed in the philanthropic space. Eric has served on the board of the Camden Conference and the Speakers Committee of the Mid-Coast Forum on Foreign Relations. He also serves as a strategist and advocate for the families of Americans taken hostage or wrongfully detained abroad.

The Network

Evergreen relies on a deep and rich network of professionals at the top of their field who join the Evergreen team for projects on an as-needed basis. This makes Evergreen highly scalable, but with little overhead to remain accessible to clients with more restricted budgets.

Evergreen works with accomplished professionals with expertise in major gifts fundraising, planned-giving, capital campaigns, event management, institutional giving, board/staff training, communications, web design and social media, and other areas.