Staff

Marilyn E. Votaw, Founder and Executive Director-Program

Marilyn's career spans more than 25 years of community service, organizational development, marketing and philanthropy.  Prior to founding Tremendous Hearts, she was a prospect researcher at Harvard Divinity School.  An effective fundraiser and business development professional, Marilyn led efforts that raised $2.3 million in private donations for City Year Boston and $339 million worth of business for Keane, Inc.  She also developed extensive community relations and philanthropy strategies for technology companies in Boston including Keane, Inc. and Nortel Networks.

Numerous organizations and communities have benefited from Marilyn's service and skills on a volunteer basis as well, including Pleasant Street Congregational Church, United Church of Christ in Arlington, the town of Rio Chiquito, Honduras, where Marilyn did construction projects on several mission trips, and most recently, the Baphumelele Children's Home in Khayelitsha, South Africa, where she was involved in the daily care of 40 orphans under the age of 4.

Marilyn holds a BA in English Composition from DePauw University and an MA in English from Northeastern University.  She relocated to Cape Town, South Africa in 2009.  Marilyn is a 2010 recipient of The Haystack Award given by the Commission for Mission and Justice Concerns of the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ.  She was also commissioned as a missionary by Pleasant Street Congregational Church, UCC in 2009.  She is leading Tremendous Hearts and serving as an organizational development volunteer with a rapidly growing, South African NGO called Home From Home, that provides foster care to more than 100 children.