NEW YORK (September 28. 2026) — American Jewish World Service (AJWS) today announced Risa Zoll as its new Chief of Innovation. In this new position, Zoll will oversee development and implementation of initiatives designed to enhance AJWS’s ability to respond to a complex global landscape and equip staff with forward-thinking approaches that will enrich the organization’s capacity to promote human rights among the most marginalized.
“From climate change to the rise of authoritarianism, we are living in a moment where global human rights movements face unprecedented challenges,” said Tawanda Mutasah, AJWS President and CEO. “Innovation is about ensuring AJWS is positioned to meet this moment, remain a leader in the human rights field, and continue supporting our grassroots partners in the most meaningful ways possible. Risa is a deeply committed and mission-driven member of our team, and we are fortunate to have her lead this work.”
Zoll said she is looking forward to enhancing AJWS’s culture of learning, collaboration, and thoughtful experimentation. Her priorities include helping teams identify more effective ways of working, strengthening organizational systems, embracing emerging technologies responsibly, and creating space for new ideas that will advance the work of both AJWS and its grassroots partners.
“I feel privileged to bring my experience to this role and contribute to moving the organization forward at such a pivotal time,” she said. “It is an honor to help ensure AJWS is its best self, prepared for the challenges ahead, and positioned to provide our partners and the communities they serve with what they need to drive their work forward.”
Zoll has served as AJWS’s Associate Vice President for Development since 2023, working alongside a team of professionals to enhance donors’ understanding of the human rights movements AJWS supports. Prior to joining AJWS, she spent more than two decades in the human rights and social justice fields in Israel and the U.S. She has led multiple teams through change-management processes, including in her previous role as Vice President of Institutional Funding and Operations at Planned Parenthood of Greater New York, where she led a team through the merger of five New York State Planned Parenthood affiliates.
“Innovation means building the capacity to adapt as the world changes,” Zoll said. “It means helping my colleagues to step back from business as usual, identify opportunities to improve how we work, and develop the skills and mindset needed to respond to both current headwinds that the human rights sector faces and those that may arise moving forward.”
In her new role, Zoll will draw from the intellectual capital of AJWS’s staff and Board, and work across the organization to pioneer new ways of meeting such familiar objectives as: providing meticulous accompaniment to grantees; refining administrative infrastructure; harnessing new technologies; and galvanizing donor enthusiasm at a time of significant competition for global philanthropy.
“Throughout my career, I’ve seen many different models for advancing human rights,” she said. “What makes AJWS exceptional is the extent to which it centers the voices of communities on the ground. Its operating model of grantmaking, accompaniment, and advocacy creates a model for lasting change, and I felt compelled to be part of that work.”
Zoll holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and American Literature from Harvard University and a Juris Doctor from Boston University School of Law.
For More Information
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