Celebrating Our Honorees | Montgomery College, Maryland

Honorary Degree Recipients 1996–2019

2013 Honorary Degree Recipients

Ms. Sally Rudney
Philanthropic Advisor, Former Founding Executive Director The Community Foundation for Montgomery County

Ms. Sally Rudney

Ms. Sally Rudney has worked in the field of philanthropy for more than 28 years, including 17 years as the founding executive director of The Community Foundation for Montgomery County, a regional affiliate of The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region. She left The Community Foundation in February 2013 to begin her own philanthropic advisory practice.

Today, she works with families, corporate executives, and trustees of private foundations to help them find deep satisfaction in their giving, while making a significant difference in the community. She helps donors develop and implement strategic philanthropy plans, and involves their children and grandchildren in meaningful giving

Under Ms. Rudney’s leadership, The Community Foundation for Montgomery County grew from one family fund in 1996 to 276 family, corporate, memorial, scholarship, and leadership funds in 2012. Last year, the funds made more than $20 million in grants to nonprofits in Montgomery County, across the Washington metropolitan region, and around the world.

Among many achievements, she established Sharing Montgomery, an annual donor-led effort providing nearly $500,000 a year in grants to nonprofits in the county working on safety net, education, and workforce development. When the economic downturn hit, she encouraged two anonymous donor families to offer $100,000 challenge grants to launch Neighbors in Need Montgomery, which led to fast tracking nearly $1 million to key nonprofit emergency service efforts.

She is a founder and leader in Serving Together, a collaborative project supporting troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, their families, and other veterans who live and work in Montgomery County. She also championed a government, nonprofit, and philanthropy “learning circle” in 2006–2007, which led to the creation of several initiatives, including Nonprofit Montgomery, the Nonprofit Village, the Nonprofit Advancement Fund of Montgomery County, the Nonprofit Financial Reporting and Management Initiative (FIRM), and the county executive’s Office of Community Partnerships.

Ms. Rudney has served on numerous boards and committees, including the Sidwell Friends School, her alma mater.

She earned a bachelor’s degree with honors from Brown University and an MBA from the Yale School of Management.

Ms. Rudney lives in Takoma Park with her husband, Scott Hoekman. They have a daughter, Jenny, and a son, Gabe.