Lynne Twist, author of The Soul of Money

Lynne Twist, global activist, fundraiser, speaker, consultant and author, has devoted her life to service in support of eradicating hunger and poverty, global sustainability, human rights, economic integrity and spiritual authenticity.  She has raised hundreds of millions of dollars and trained thousands of fundraisers to be more effective in their work for organizations that serve the best instincts of all of us – ending hunger, empowering women, nurturing children and youth and contributing to the creation of a world view of equity and sustainability for all life.

Ms. Twist, an original staff member of The Hunger Project in 1977, served as a leader of that international initiative for 20 years, including responsibility for raising the money necessary to support it and its programs. In that capacity, Ms Twist traveled the world, developing a keen understanding of the relationship of people to money, the psychology of scarcity and the psychology of sufficiency. Lynne Twist shares compelling stories and insights from those experiences in her award winning book, The Soul of Money: Transforming your Relationship with Money and Life, published by W.W. Norton.  Those ideas are the foundation of her inspiring workshops, Fundraising from the Heart (a professional development program for those in the field of philanthropy) and The Soul of Money (a workshop open to the general public that empowers and transforms individuals’ relationship with money and life).

Ms. Twist formed the Soul of Money Institute as an expression of her commitment to support and empower people in finding peace, freedom and sufficiency in their relationship with money and the money culture.   She and her husband are co-founders of The Pachamama Alliance, an organization dedicated to preserving tropical rainforests by empowering the indigenous people who are their natural custodians. She is president of the Turning Tide Coalition, a gathering of like-minded organizations committed to global sustainability.  She is a trustee of the John E. Fetzer Institute and is vice-chair of the Institute of Noetic Sciences.  Ms. Twist also serves on the board of directors of Educate Girls Globally.

In addition, Ms. Twist serves on the advisory boards of Y.E.S. (Youth for Environmental Sanity), K.I.N.D. (Kudirat Institute for Nigerian Democracy), the California Institute of Integral Studies, The Center for Partnership Studies, Challenge Day, The Hartley Film Foundation, and Global Youth Action Network.

Ms. Twist was named a “Woman of Distinction” at the United Nations by the International Health Awareness Network for her work to end hunger.  She has also received the 2005 Humanitarian of the Year Award from Youth at Risk, Katalysis Foundation’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award, the Nautilus Book Award 2004 Grand Prize, and the New Dimension Broadcaster Award.

Ms. Twist and her husband have three adult children and three grandchildren and live in San Francisco, California.