Jesse Kelly

Jesse J. Kelly Jr. is a graduate student in Columbia University’s M.S. in Nonprofit
Management program. His interests include nonprofit leadership and management,
philanthropy, institutional strategy, organizational legitimacy, and the role nonprofit
institutions play in shaping communities and public life. He is particularly passionate
about institutions that produce, preserve, and expand access to knowledge and culture
and their role in sustaining our shared intellectual and cultural life.

Looking ahead, Jesse aspires to establish a private consulting practice supporting
nonprofit institutions and, ultimately, to create a philanthropic foundation dedicated to
funding and advancing scholars in the social sciences. Through his work, he hopes to
strengthen the institutions and people responsible for producing knowledge, preserving
culture, and contributing to the public good.

Jesse currently serves as Program Representative for the M.S. in Nonprofit
Management program. His priorities include strengthening the NOPM community and its
traditions, advocating for students, expanding collaboration across SPS and Columbia
University, deepening connections with nonprofit institutions and practitioners
throughout New York City, and creating meaningful opportunities for professional
development and alumni engagement. Through his term, he hopes to contribute to the
program’s long-term identity, visibility, and institutional impact.