30th Anniversary Partner Perspectives Campaign: Presenting Christine Benninger, Chief Executive Officer & President, Guide Dogs for the Blind

In the sixth installment of our 30th-anniversary “Partner Perspectives” series, we’re joined by Christine (Chris) Benninger, Chief Executive Officer and President of Guide Dogs for the Blind. Chris has served Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) since 2014 and brings a wealth of both for-profit and nonprofit experience to her leadership role. Under Chris’ leadership, Guide Dogs for the Blind has expanded its program offerings to include Orientation and Mobility training for individuals with insufficient skills to qualify for guide dog training, a companion dog program for visually-impaired children, and advocacy in support of GDB’s visually-impaired communities. In addition, annual fundraising has tripled since 2014 and a new state-of-the-art Puppy Center has been built. Chris and the team at GDB began partnering with Orr Group in 2020 to design, and subsequently implement a fundraising roadmap for the organization’s ambitious ten-year strategic plan. As an embedded partner, we’re continuing to serve as GDB’s interim Chief Philanthropic Officer to drive its robust fundraising program.

Hear from Chris on her transition from a career in Silicon Valley to philanthropy, her insights on the sector’s evolution over time, and the impact of our ongoing embedded partnership together in the video above.