A self-proclaimed lifelong learner, Emily Hamilton has devoted much of her life to education. She pursued opportunities that literally took her to the other side of the world.

A graduate of North High School in Des Moines, Hamilton’s first job was as a McDonald’s manager, a role that taught her how to manage others. She still utilitizes this skill in her current role. Hamilton attended Grinnell College, where she studied biology and economics. After college, she received a postgraduate fellowship with the Desert Research Foundation of Namibia in Africa through the Grinnell Corps Fellowship.

“I spent 18 months there,” she said. “I worked with scientists who did research. My degree is in international development, and while that’s what I was interested in, I ended up gaining experience with donors and telling the story of why this research was so important.” 

Africa is where Hamilton “hit her stride” in the nonprofit world. 

“I loved advocating more than doing the science,” she said. “It helped me appreciate diversity, and it’s something different every day. I can feed my interests and learn new skills.”

Prior to her current job, Hamilton worked as a major gift officer at Drake University and as director of development for the World Food Prize Foundation. 

When deciding where to volunteer, Hamilton looks for the same education component that drives her. 

“I’m fortunate that my avocation and vocation align very beautifully,” she said. 

Outside work and volunteering, Hamilton considers herself an “undercover artist.” 

“Whether it’s playing with Legos, hand-binding a book or making a quilt, I love doing things with my hands,” she said. “I love to tinker and create random things in my workroom.”

Hamilton’s experiences taught her that she possesses a higher tolerance for risk than she originally imagined. 

“To try new things, you have to take risks,” she said.

Reasons she’s a forty:

• She joined the Des Moines “I Have a Dream” Foundation in 2010 and, during her tenure, helped increase the organization’s fundraising revenues by nearly 300 percent and grow the organization’s outreach and community involvement.
• She was director of development for the World Food Prize Foundation during its $30 million capital campaign.
• She’s a graduate of the 2012 Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute and was a 2012 Juice magazine Young Professional of the Year finalist.
• She is involved in 100 + Chicks for Charity, The Ferscipe Society and Lead Like a Lady.