Sara Kirkwood

Sara Sussman Kirkwood joined the MSI United States team as the Director of Philanthropy in September 2023.

Sara has 15 years of experience helping to building sustainable funding streams for organizations in the sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice movements. She cares deeply about facilitating authentic relationships between donors and the critical work that they make possible. 

Prior to joining MSI US, Sara served as the Senior Director of Development, Physicians for Reproductive Health where she lead a team that doubled the organization’s budget. Sara began her career at EngenderHealth and has also worked with the Guttmacher Institute, the Lung Cancer Research Foundation, the Bronx Community Health Network, Miracle House and many small local nonprofit organizations. Sara holds a BA in Philosophy from the University of Rochester and an MPA from CUNY – Baruch.  

Sara lives with her family in Maplewood, NJ, a suburb of New York City. In her free time you can find Sara making pottery, hosting dinner parties, or reading a good book.