Expert Guidance with a Personal Touch
Meet Our Charitable Giving Team
We’re a boutique team of passionate advisors dedicated to elevating your philanthropic goals.
With extensive experience in charitable giving, we combine deep industry knowledge with a personal touch. Our advisors are not just experts—they’re also storytellers, visionaries, and, most importantly, enthusiastic partners in your philanthropic endeavors. Philanthropy doesn’t have to be serious all the time! We infuse creativity and joy into our work, ensuring that your giving journey is both fulfilling and fun. Our advisors are known for their engaging approach, making conversations about charitable giving informative and enjoyable! We celebrate your successes along the way, making philanthropy a shared adventure.
Nicole Hoplin
President
Minnesota native Nicole Hoplin has spent 25 years in the charitable sector, helping families reach their charitable goals seamlessly and joyfully. As one of the company’s founders, Nicole specializes in time-saving and creative ways for clients to make charitable gifts while achieving outsize results. She has written two books on philanthropy; you may be just as shocked as she was when one, Funding Fathers, appeared as a Jeopardy! game show “answer.” Lest you are impressed....no contestant got it right!
Nicole served as a vice president for Young America’s Foundation (owner of President Reagan’s California ranch), with expertise in major donor fundraising. Her perspectives give clients special insights; nonprofits seem to want those special insights, too, as her Zoom queue is always full!
She earned a Master of Public Policy from the University of Minnesota, concentrating in nonprofit management & leadership. Having committed to public service as a teenager (she is a 2000 Truman Scholar), Nicole serves on the boards of Trinity Christian School, the Clare Boothe Luce Center for Conservative Women, Young America’s Foundation, T. W. Lewis Foundation, and the State Policy Network. When she’s not behind her desk, she can be found on the golf course hoping to catch a glimpse of rare birds and eagles, which is to say, caddying for one or more of her three talented sons. She also enjoys traveling the globe with her husband of 23 years.
John Jackson
Executive Vice President & Managing Partner
John Jackson is co-founder and executive vice president of Hoplin Jackson Charitable Advisors. He advised the Denver-based Coors family on their charitable giving for nearly 30 years, spending almost a decade of that time as executive director of the $250 million Adolph Coors Foundation. Because you are wondering … that role does not include free beer.
John began charitable advising about the same time the world wide web—aka the internet—became a thing. Over the years, he has helped clients thoughtfully place more than $150 million in charitable grants to worthy nonprofits. Clients appreciate John’s knack for building innovative grantmaking strategies and especially value his “soft touch” in helping multi-generational families navigate tricky governance issues found at the intersection of family and foundation … you know, like those incredibly rare instances when kids disagree with their parents.
In addition to decades of experience in the philanthropic sector, John founded and grew a successful mortgage brokerage, offering A-paper first and second residential mortgages. He served seven years on the staff of U.S. Senator Bill Armstrong both on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., and as state director of the Senator’s five offices in Colorado. John practices what he preaches. He has taken a leadership role in a variety of nonprofits, including service on the boards of Philanthropy Roundtable and State Policy Network, and as chairman of the board of Colorado Storm Soccer Association and the Denver-area chapter of the March of Dimes.
Heather Stohler
Vice President of Advisory Services
Heather Stohler is the vice president of advisory services of Hoplin Jackson Charitable Advisors. She is a “Jane of All Trades” whose long history of work in both fundraising and grantmaking offers clients unique insights into the inner workings of nonprofits. Because she is the mother of a wise-beyond-his-years five-year old, Heather’s negotiation skills are unmatched, a skillset that comes in handy in nonprofit discussions. Prior to joining Hoplin Jackson, Heather spent nearly a decade at the Snider Foundation working alongside the late founder’s entrepreneurial family to evaluate opportunities and strengthen organizations through strategic grantmaking. Heather enjoys crafting meaningful charitable experiences for donors and shaping strategies that achieve strong measurable outcomes. Heather takes pride in furthering a donor's mission by supporting grantees however possible, offering advice on governance, operations, fundraising, and more.
Prior to her work at the Snider Foundation, Heather spent five seasons at the Mann, an outdoor music venue. As a trained pianist, Heather once had dreams of being on stage. Fortunately for Hoplin Jackson, the critics disagreed. Instead, she worked her way up the ranks as a fundraiser. Heather grew up in the greater Philadelphia region and has planted her own roots there with her husband and son. She graduated cum laude from Saint Joseph’s University and earned a Master of Public Policy from Drexel University. When she isn’t hiking with her family, she is over-committing to volunteer opportunities, including serving on the board of her synagogue.
Nathaniel Moldoff
Director of Research & Policy
As director of research and policy, Nathaniel Moldoff specializes in deep dive research, parlaying findings into charitable strategies tailored to the unique needs of individual clients. An excellent listener and fastidious notetaker, colleagues often refer to the hand-written notes in Nathaniel’s three-foot (and growing) stack of letter-ruled notepads.
Like Isaac Newton before him, Nathaniel’s analytical skills allow him to spot trends long before others. His global insights into philanthropy are complemented by a detailed understanding of best practices in nonprofit management, most notably a specialized expertise in evaluating nonprofit financials. Colleagues around the country regularly consult Nathaniel for his well-informed insights into Jewish/Israel-related philanthropy.
Nathaniel served previously as a senior program officer at the Snider Foundation where he oversaw the Foundation’s Jewish Culture & Survival portfolio. Prior, he was a fundraising consultant at Perry Davis Associates. Nathaniel is a graduate of New York University, where he received both a Master of Public Administration with a concentration in nonprofit management and a Master of Arts in Hebrew and Jewish Studies. He completed his undergraduate degree at Franklin and Marshall College and spent time in Jerusalem at the Pardes Institute for Jewish Studies. Nathaniel, his wife, and son currently reside in the Philadelphia suburbs, where they are active in the local community. His exercise regimen involves chasing after his increasingly mobile toddler. Nathaniel enjoys spending time outside exploring nature or in the kitchen trying out new recipes.
Dana Saraco
Director of Operations
As director of operations for Hoplin Jackson Charitable Advisors, Dana Saraco manages many of the behind-the-scenes aspects of charitable giving that allow clients to remain focused on the fun part of philanthropic work: executing their missions. Dana also serves as the office proofreader and editor, where she champions the use of the Oxford comma and deletes all instances of double spaces between sentences. But do not be fooled! Dana is much more than a grammar cop. Clients value the way she applies her trademark humor and diplomatic skills to navigate delicate situations … like how to make a long-time grantee feel good about “no.”
Before joining Hoplin Jackson, Dana was director of operations and grants management at the Snider Foundation where she oversaw the Foundation’s grantmaking process, enforced donor intent, provided thorough research and thoughtful recommendations on applications, and oversaw a variety of back-office tasks. Prior to that experience, she worked at NAXION, a market research and consulting firm, where she was an associate project manager. She is a graduate of Saint Joseph’s University with degrees in English and political science. In her free time, Dana can mostly be found cheering on Philadelphia’s major sports teams when they are doing well and wallowing in despair when they lose.
Join Us in Making a Difference
Whether you’re a seasoned philanthropist or just beginning your journey, our team is here to guide you every step of the way. Let’s transform your charitable vision into reality—together, we can make giving a joyous experience that leaves a lasting legacy.
Explore our services and meet the team that’s ready to turn your charitable dreams into impactful actions!