Amanda Mason currently serves as the Associate Vice President of Institutional Relations at the National Wildlife Federation. With over 15 years at the organization and more than two decades of experience in the non-profit sector, she has been instrumental in driving high-level fundraising strategies and cultural shifts toward successful organizational grant management practices and capacity building for private and public funding sources. Her work expertise spans the full lifecycle of development — from prospecting and cultivating multi-million-dollar opportunities to navigating complex requirements and managing diverse portfolios while building and leading her high performing team. Throughout her career, including pivotal leadership roles at both NWF and the Ocean Conservancy, she has consistently bridged the gap between finance, program, operations, and restricted revenue needs.
Mason complements her leadership with a strong academic foundation in Applied Anthropology, with a Masters focused on Resource Management and Cultural Processes from the University of Maryland. Most recently, she has published papers and presented sessions for the Grants Professionals Association on her craft. Earlier in her career, she applied this rigorous methodology to historic preservation and regional planning, notably coordinating the management plan for the Western Erie Canal Heritage Corridor, drafting interpretive materials and preservation guidance for Great Camp Santanoni while interning at the Adirondack Architectural Heritage Association, and teaching research methods as an Adjunct Professor at SUNY Brockport. This unique blend of anthropological insight and operational expertise allows her to approach environmental advocacy through a lens of both cultural impact and technical precision. Recognized by the Society for Applied Anthropology, she remains a dedicated mentor and strategist committed to advancing science-based conservation and institutional growth.
