Diane “Deanne” Feeney
Director, French American Charitable Trust
President, FACT Services Co., Inc.

As FACT’s first staff member, Diane was instrumental in designing the Trust’s grantmaking program and hiring the other U.S. and French staff. Before becoming active full-time in her family’s foundation, Diane worked as a campaign assistant at Greenpeace in Washington, D.C.

Diane is currently Chair of the Board of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP), and serves on the Board of the Center for Community Change

Her specific interests include philanthropic reform (making foundations more accountable, transparent and accessible to grantseekers) encouraging greater collaboration across sectors and between multiple stakeholders, and increasing funding to community-based organizations and intermediaries.
Diane was born in France and visits often for vacations and foundation business. She has a BA in history from Cornell University and an MA in philosophy and social policy from George Washington University. Diane currently lives with her husband and three children in Costa Rica.

Myra J. Bicknell
Operations & Grants Manager, San Francisco

Myra has extensive administrative management experience in both the nonprofit and corporate sectors. Her nonprofit work includes positions at the Breast Cancer Fund, WomanVision, the Golden Gate Center for Spiritual Living, and the Canal Alliance. As the Operations & Grants Manager of a small foundation, Myra is adept at wearing many hats and can switch from one project to another with ease.

At FACT, she developed systems to track consultant hours, expenses and reporting for multiple projects in the Capacity Building program. She has played an active role in implementing FACT's spend down process from the beginning. Myra is the main point of communication between grantees and the organization throughout the changes. She will stay at FACT through mid-2012 to oversee the transition and ensure that all the loose ends are tied up.

Myra completed her Masters Degree in Nonprofit Administration at the University of San Francisco. Her thesis compared program and non-program employees in nonprofit organizations. She has a BA in Comparative Cultures from UC Irvine, and is interested in designing systems and procedures to help organizations reach new levels of achievement. She was born in Montreal and moved to California with her family when she was ten. Myra joined FACT in 2004.

Laurent Janodet
Program Officer, Paris

Laurent graduated from the “Université de Paris–I” with a degree in sociology and economics. Throughout his career he has worked on social justice issues in a variety of capacities. From 1994 to 1998, he worked for the “Fondation de France,” the largest public charity in France to develop a project focused on civic engagement. He joined the staff of FACT in 1998 as the Program Officer for France. He is married with two children and lives east of Paris in Auxerre, the Chablis region of France

Laura Livoti
Senior Program Officer, San Francisco

As of August 31, 2011, with the closing of the US grantmaking program, Laura Livoti is no longer working at FACT. She joined the organization in 2002 after four years as Managing Director and Acting Executive Director of the National Radio Project. Her professional background includes both nonprofit and corporate experience. At FACT she created and oversaw a model Capacity Building program, while serving as Program Officer for community organizing grantees in Appalachia, California and New Mexico.

She was on the Steering Committee of the Funders Committee For Civic Participation, and the Steering Committee for the Funders Network for Trade and Globalization. She was a member of the national Social Justice Infrastructure Funders and helped catalyze the Bay Area Social Justice Funders Group In addition, Laura has provided consulting services to non profit organizations. She is experienced at working with non profits, coalitions, political parties and ad hoc organizations in a variety of capacities including founder, manager, staff member, volunteer and board member.