Jenna Ray | Executive Director and CEO
(Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana)
She/her/hers
Jenna Ray believes in the power of possibility—and in the generosity that connects us and transforms our communities. A Métis-Anishinaabekwe leader and coach, Jenna is the Executive Director and CEO of GiveMN, where she leads the statewide movement to ignite generosity and grow giving across Minnesota and beyond.
Appointed in 2025 as the third Executive Director in GiveMN’s history, Jenna brings two decades of experience advancing mission-driven organizations through strategic visioning, inclusive fundraising, community building, and culture-shaping leadership. Since joining GiveMN in 2022, she has helped deliver record-breaking campaigns—including the most successful Give to the Max Day in history, raising over $37 million—and launched initiatives to advance equity and expand philanthropic access for rural, Indigenous, LGBTQ+, and women- and girl-centered organizations.
An enrolled member of the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana, Jenna is guided by the belief that generosity is both a traditional practice and a future-building tool. Her leadership is rooted in abundance, relational care, and joyful complexity. Before joining GiveMN, she held leadership roles with the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center, the University of Minnesota Morris, West Central Initiative, and Minnesota Upstream, among others.
Jenna holds a BA in theatre arts, English, and multicultural studies from the University of Minnesota Morris and a Certificate in Fundraising Management from Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. She is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership at St. Catherine University.
Jenna’s fundraising superpower is building authentic relationships grounded in shared purpose and celebration. Alongside thousands of everyday philanthropists, she has helped raise tens of millions of dollars for causes ranging from childcare and rural resilience to Native sovereignty and civic engagement.
She recently relocated from rural western Minnesota to Saint Paul, where she lives with her husband and son. You’ll often find them walking their golden lab, Ziibi, traveling the North Star State, and dreaming up what’s possible in the world we share.
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