Carmel Napolitano

A recognized leader in retained executive search for the nonprofit sector, Carmel Napolitano brings over 15 years of search experience to Lindauer’s clients. Possessing a network that reaches from local to global, Carmel has successfully completed leadership searches with advocacy, arts/culture, economic development, educational, environmental, global health, human services, and other mission-driven organizations.

Carmel’s client work has included numerous CEO/Executive Director/Senior Executive searches. These have included the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Fund, American Hospital of Paris, Boys & Girls Town of Italy (now A Chance in Life), The Abraham Fund Initiative, The Better Business Bureau of Metro New York, IMA Lutheran World Relief (now Corus International), Friends of the Domaine de Chantilly, GOOD Plus Foundation, Mountbatten Institute, Hadassah, and the Union Square Partnership. She also has completed senior level advancement/development roles for Breast Cancer Research Fund, Friends of the Israeli Defense Forces, Hôpital Albert Schweitzer Haiti, The National Philanthropic Trust, International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), National Audubon Society, NPower, Posse Foundation, Stevens Institute of Technology, Taglit/Birthright Israel, Urban Pathways, and the Wildlife Conservation Society. Since joining Lindauer in 2019, Carmel has worked with such clients as the Jewish Theological Seminary, LA Opera, Seoul Foreign School, and the University of Pennsylvania.

Prior to entering the executive search world, Carmel held a range of roles in higher education fundraising and nonprofit fundraising consulting. These included professional positions at the University of Pennsylvania and Temple University and serving as Director of Research and Special Projects at CCS Fundraising, Inc., one of the world’s leading nonprofit consultancies. Her work included capital campaign planning and prospect research and, for CCS, advising national and international clients on development research, prospect management, and conducting development audits and feasibility studies. Her experience across industry sectors and functions contributes to her success in understanding complex nonprofit dynamics and in making strong and lasting placements.

Carmel is committed to giving back to the nonprofit community, which also brings her firsthand knowledge of boards and governance. She currently serves on the board of the Greater New York area chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and is a former board member of Women in Development New York. Carmel is a former lead instructor for the New York Junior League’s Nonprofit Board Clearinghouse course. She is also a member of the board of the Angelica Patient Assistance Program, a foundation with a mission to enhance the lives of economically challenged patients in need of long-term medical care, and a volunteer and gala committee member for Dance to Unite, a nonprofit that partners with after-school programs to offer free dance classes with an educational component celebrating cultural diversity, and serves as an alumni volunteer with PennPAC, that uses the intellectual talents and professional skills of alumni of the University of Pennsylvania in a meaningful and socially beneficial way.

Carmel received an undergraduate degree from Villanova University and a Master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania’s Fels Center of Government.