Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
Rachel Milligan, MPA, currently serves as Senior Manager of Partnerships at the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, where responsibilities include managing relationships within The Wendy's Company network to secure philanthropic support. Previously, Rachel held the position of Director of Development and Major Gifts at Columbus Speech & Hearing Center, overseeing fundraising programs and staff leadership for various committees. At The Buckeye Ranch, Rachel advanced from Development Coordinator to Development Manager, managing fundraising events and fostering donor relationships. Earlier experience includes working as a Loan Officer and Account Manager at American Bank, where Rachel developed strong customer service and sales skills. Rachel holds a Master of Public Administration from Ohio University and a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Communication from the same institution.
Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption is a national, nonprofit public charity dedicated to dramatically increasing the number of adoptions of children waiting in North America's foster care systems. Created by Wendy’s® founder Dave Thomas, who was adopted, the Foundation implements evidence-based, results-driven national service programs and builds awareness around the growing need and importance of foster care adoption in various ways. We also develop resources for employers and families to support the adoption journey. Through our signature program, Wendy’s Wonderful Kids, the Foundation provides grants to adoption agencies to hire and train recruiters in our child-focused recruitment model to find loving, permanent homes for children in foster care. This model is up to three times more effective at serving children who have been in foster care the longest, including older youth, siblings and children with special needs. The Foundation offers a free library of resources to help families navigate the adoption journey, such as Finding Forever Families: A Step-by-Step Guide to Adoption and Strengthen Your Forever Family: A Step-by-Step Guide to Post-Adoption. The Foundation also works to build awareness around the growing need and importance of adoption from foster care through public service announcements, social media campaigns, articles, events, sponsorships and more.