Shani Wilkes

Associate Vice President, Research and Evaluation, Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP)

In her role, Shani defines CJP’s research and evaluation priorities, ensuring that community-wide strategies are grounded in strong data and meaningful metrics. She leads the development of measurement systems that capture insights into the impact and effectiveness of CJP’s work. With more than 20 years of experience, Shani brings deep expertise in program evaluation, organizational learning, and using data to drive continuous improvement. She is passionate about leveraging evidence to inform policy and practice and is committed to advancing impact through rigorous evaluation. Shani graduated from Georgia State University and holds a master’s degree in educational psychology from the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development at New York University. Shani was a participant in the first cohort of the JFNA Executive Accelerator Program and continues to be involved as an Alumnus. Shani lives in the Boston suburbs with her husband and two daughters, enjoys all pastries, and can often be found reading a good thriller.