Fundraising and marketing firm RKD Group has appointed Dr. Dawn Opel as Food Banks Vertical Lead, the company announced Wednesday, adding a lawyer-turned-nonprofit executive who most recently served as President and Chief Innovation Officer of the Food Bank Council of Michigan to its senior ranks.
The Hire
Dr. Opel's appointment is the latest signal of growing institutional investment in hunger-relief infrastructure as food banks face a compounding set of pressures: surging demand, tightening government and philanthropic funding, workforce shortages, and accelerating technology disruption. Her background spans statewide coalition building, food-as-medicine program expansion, and public-policy advocacy — competencies that go well beyond conventional donor-acquisition work.
In her new role, Dr. Opel will oversee RKD's strategy for the food banks sector, deepen executive relationships across the Feeding America network, and embed the firm's capabilities in fundraising strategy, digital experience, data intelligence, and artificial intelligence into client engagements nationwide.
Why It Matters
Food banks have historically been a reliable segment of the nonprofit fundraising market, but the operating environment has shifted materially. Charitable giving to food-security organizations surged during the pandemic, but donor retention has softened in subsequent years even as pantry visit volumes remain elevated. At the same time, food banks are being asked to serve as anchors for broader community-health initiatives — including food-as-medicine programs that sit at the intersection of foodservice, healthcare, and public policy — a trend that requires a different organizational and financial toolkit.
Kevin Jones, Chief Executive Officer of RKD Group, said Dr. Opel's mix of sector relationships and innovation credentials positions the firm to advise clients on strategy as well as fundraising execution. "Demand continues to rise while expectations from donors, partners, and communities continue to evolve," Jones said. "Her experience will help us anticipate where the sector is going and ensure our clients are equipped to lead through change."
What's Next
RKD, founded in 1970 and currently serving clients including the Food Bank for New York City and Feed the Children, frames the hire as part of a longer-term build-out of its vertical expertise model — an approach that mirrors how management consultancies and marketing holding companies have increasingly segmented their nonprofit and public-sector practices by cause area. For food bank operators and their boards, the practical implication is access to an advisor who has sat on the executive side of the table during a period of significant sector transformation.
Dr. Opel said her focus will be on partnerships and technology adoption. "The future of food security will be built through collaboration, innovation, and bold thinking," she said. "I'm honored to join a team so deeply committed to helping organizations advance their missions."
The appointment adds to a broader industry conversation covered by Food & Beverage Magazine around the intersection of food access, healthcare, and community infrastructure — a convergence that is reshaping procurement, distribution, and donor strategy across the food and beverage supply chain. Operators and retailers tracking consumer-trends in food access and foodservice supply-chain resilience will find the hire relevant as food banks increasingly function as large-scale food-distribution and community-health organizations.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
