Katarina Weir: Making a Bigger Impact By Understanding Both Sides of Philanthropic Giving

As part of our Leaders of the Future series, the Community Foundation is pleased to highlight Katarina (Nina) Weir, Vice President, Wealth Advisor at Bernstein Private Wealth Management.

Nina is a member of the Community Foundation’s Professional Advisor Council. She also serves on the National Advisory Board for Bernstein’s Foundation and Institutional Advisory Group, as well as the Board of the Women’s Foreign Policy Group and KIPP DC’s Ambassador Board.

Katarina (Nina) Weir’s commitment to mission-driven work runs deep. Born in Nairobi to British and Austrian parents working in international development from Geneva to Afghanistan and beyond, she learned early that giving back wasn’t optional; it was essential.

“My parents always referred to our family as ‘citizens of the world’,” Nina shared. “With that citizenship comes a responsibility to make it a better place than we found it and to give back to our community however we can.”

Giving Back Through Nonprofit Leadership

Soon after moving to Washington, DC in 2004, after receiving an MA from the School of Management and Business Studies at Edinburgh University, Nina took on an exciting role as Operations Manager, and worked her way up to Executive Director, with the Orchestra of the Americas Group (OAG) (formerly known as the Youth Orchestra of the Americas (YOA))—a nonprofit dedicated to developing young musicians from across the Western Hemisphere.

“The idea was we wanted to create citizen musicians and empower students to go back to their home countries and be ambassadors that could promote and improve music education in their community, and around the world,” Nina explained.

In addition to coordinating an annual performance tour for students, Nina and the OAG also focused on professional development opportunities above and beyond the musical training. One example of how this became a centerpiece of the OAG’s offerings was when Nina and the OAG staff realized that the students needed additional skills in marketing, financial management, and fundraising to succeed. In response, the team created a one-year MBA in Arts Innovation focused on social entrepreneurship, cultural management, sustainable impact, and community development to support students’ growth and development.

The impact was profound. Students would write letters at the end of their tours describing how the experience had transformed their lives—testimonials that deeply resonated with donors and kept them engaged year after year. “They could see that this was having an impact, and their lives had been transformed by participating in this program,” Nina recalls.

Little did Nina realize that it would also transform her life, as well.

Transitioning to Wealth Advisory

While exploring music education opportunities for OAG students, Nina was introduced to KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) DC—a public charter school dedicated to educating and supporting students in the District of Columbia who have historically had limited access to quality educational options.

“Every single person deserves the opportunity to fulfill their potential,” Nina shared. “The work that KIPP is doing is such a big part of that.”

Nina at KIPProm—KIPP DC’s annual fundraiser to support KIPP DC’s alumni. Nina served as chair of the fundraising committee for the event.

After learning more about, and partnering with, the organization, Nina fell in love with the organization’s mission and joined KIPP DC’s Ambassador Board, where she met another Ambassador who worked as a Wealth Advisor at Bernstein and had a practice with a focus on supporting mission-driven nonprofits.

“By this point in my career, I had been with OAG for 17 years and was beginning to ask myself ‘What can I do next?’,” Nina explained. “My colleague on the Ambassador Board saw something in me and suggested I could pivot to work in the wealth advisory space.”

Taking the plunge meant completing licensing exams and embracing an entirely new field. Three years in, she describes the transition as transformative. “It’s been the best decision of my life,” Nina says. “It’s about uncovering what’s important—values, priorities, goals. Yes, we manage investments, but it’s also figuring out how a nonprofit or individual can leverage their funds to maximize their impact and align that with the legacy they are looking to have.”

As a Vice President, Wealth Advisor at Bernstein Private Wealth Management, Nina specializes in working with midsize nonprofits—organizations with $1–$100 million in investable assets—a sector she believes has been underserved in the market. She also works with high-net-worth individuals, many of whom she helps to support in identifying and maximizing their personal philanthropic goals.

Tips for Navigating Philanthropy For Donors and Nonprofits

Nina’s dual perspective—as a former nonprofit executive and a Wealth Advisor working with many philanthropic clients—gives her unique insights into the challenges facing both sides of philanthropy today.

For nonprofit leaders, Nina understands the challenges of operating on tight budgets and navigating capacity constraints.

“I understand the struggles that they’re going through—because I’ve been there,” she says. “When I meet with them, I try to come in and ask the questions to find out how we can support them or refer them to the resources they need.” This idea of holistically supporting nonprofit organizations has led to the creation of educational programming, networking events, and resources specifically designed for nonprofit executives and board members. Recently, Nina and the Bernstein team hosted a forum at DC Central Kitchen where they focused on topics such as succession planning and leadership transition, demystifying donor-advised funds, community engagement, and partnerships.

As nonprofits across our region face significant funding challenges, Nina emphasizes the importance of “controlling the controllable.” She advises organizations to focus on building the right board, diversifying revenue sources, and leveraging partnerships to maximize mission impact.

Perhaps most importantly, Nina encourages them to think beyond transactional relationships. “When you’re looking at donors, especially individuals, you cannot just think of them as an ATM,” she advises. “You have to cultivate the relationship and make sure you continuously understand why they are connecting to your organization, and how that may continue to evolve.”

For donors, Nina emphasizes the importance of understanding the long-term impact of their giving decisions: “Donors may not always truly understand how difficult it is when they unexpectedly stop giving to an organization that has come to rely and count on that funding.”

“It’s important to be truly aware of your impact, and what could happen to the organization if and when you decide to withdraw that support.”

Her advice for maximizing charitable impact is straightforward but profound: “Take the time to plan out what kind of impact you want to have. Discover what’s important to you, what your values, goals and priorities are, and how to thoughtfully align that with your personal legacy, and even that of your family and the generations to come.”

“As you perform this due diligence and discovery process, your vision of your personal philanthropy will become more meaningful, more intentional, and ultimately more impactful.”

Nina also added a stark reminder for donors about the current climate for many nonprofits in our region. “Now is the time to lean in and really support organizations and causes that are important to you because the landscape is being turned inside out, upside down, and is very uncertain.”

“They need you.”

Looking to the Future—Empowering Women in Philanthropy

Despite the current challenges, Nina says she is inspired by the potential for growth and investment in the philanthropic sector—especially from women.

With a significant wealth transfer expected over the coming decades, much of it going to women, Nina created a group called “Extraordinary Women” of female executives, business owners and leaders across the DMV—designed to help support, connect and educate women about financial wellness, and wealth management, philanthropic decision-making, legacy building, estate planning, and more.

“Women have already been pivotal in the philanthropic space,” Nina explained, pointing to McKenzie Scott’s transformational investments in the nonprofit sector. “The more we can help women feel empowered in their financial and philanthropic impact, the more we can set up our community for success.”

The Community Foundation is proud to partner with incredible Financial Planners and Wealth Advisors like Nina through our Professional Advisor Council. For more information, visit www.thecommunityfoundation.org/professional-advisors.

Interested in joining our Professional Advisor Community? Contact our General Counsel & Senior Philanthropic Advisor, Tiffanie Purvis, for more information at [email protected].