40 Under 40: Anna Wishneff

Anna Wishneff, by her own admission, has been very lucky to work in the non-profit space for most of her life.

“Any of the roles that I had in my career were very community-driven, very much so taking on a role where you’re making sure that you are professionally making the world a better place.”

She comes by it honestly.

“I was raised in a Reform Jewish family in Boca Raton, Fla., where giving back to the community was instilled in me from an early age. My father served on our synagogue’s board, chaired the Chessed Committee, and made sure my brother and I participated in Mitzvah Day and other community service projects.”

Starting work at the MJCCA – where she realized how deeply connected she was to Atlanta’s Jewish community, meeting people who remembered my grandparents and great-grandparents — she soon found roles and Birthright and then JF&CS.

Choosing briefly to go corporate at a job in Florida, she returned quickly to the nonprofit space, working for five years with the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, before stepping away to pursue her MSW.

“Although I was in my mid-30s, I knew I wanted to earn a master’s degree. I briefly considered a clinical path, as mental health is a deep passion of mine and something I will always advocate for. However, while I was in school, Oct. 7 happened. Like so many in the Jewish community, I was shaken to my core — not only by the events of that day but also by the alarming rise in antisemitism. I knew then that I wanted to return to Atlanta’s Jewish nonprofit community.”

So she joined JIFLA as Director of Development & Engagement, where she still works helping expand fundraising, donor engagement, and community awareness for an organization providing interest-free loans to Jewish Georgians facing unexpected financial challenges.

“Returning to Atlanta’s Jewish nonprofit community has allowed me to combine my professional experience, my MSW, and my lifelong connection to Judaism in service of something bigger than myself. Through my work, I hope to strengthen the organizations, relationships, and support systems that help our Jewish community thrive for generations to come.”