She wasn’t done yet. No one really thought she was.

Words by Jeffrey Norman | Photo by David A. Lee

When Ellen Goodman said goodbye after a 13-year tenure as director of the Palm Springs Unified School District Foundation, she knew her life of purpose was far from over. She just needed a pause.

Then an opportunity at DAP Health appeared, and Goodman found herself reconsidering everything.

DAP Health had long been on her radar. She had watched the organization evolve beyond its roots in HIV/AIDS services and expand its role in caring for the broader community, including women and children.

Philanthropy & community

Now, as DAP Health’s new director of philanthropy, Goodman is bringing her extensive experience — and profoundly personal commitment to community — to an organization whose mission resonates with her deeply.

In her new role, Goodman says she will be responsible for “good customer service” for DAP Health’s donors and donor prospects. “I’m going on a listening tour,” she says. “I want to hear people’s experiences with DAP Health. I want to learn and bring information to people and see if there’s a match.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Ellen Goodman to DAP Health as our new director of philanthropy,” says Chris Kiser, DAP Health’s chief philanthropy officer. “Ellen brings a genuine passion for building meaningful relationships and connecting people to a mission that changes lives.”

Her portfolio will include various donor engagement initiatives, as well as introducing people to the recently established DAP Health Foundation and new programs aimed toward serving women and children and the under and uninsured. “The Foundation offers a way to build for the future,” she says, “to advance DAP Health’s mission both now and for generations to come. And the new women and children initiatives are especially close to my heart.”

Those who have worked with Goodman say that her ability to connect is part of who she is.

David Green, founder, producer and artistic director of Musical Theatre University, worked with Goodman for more than a decade. “Ellen Goodman has been a critical bridge between the donor community and our unique Conservatory program,” he says. “Her diligence, dedication, positivity, optimism and expertise are truly unmatched.”

A professional in health care philanthropy

Her passion for giving back took root decades ago, when Goodman found herself drawn away from the business world and toward nonprofit work during the early days of the HIV/AIDS crisis.

She began her career working in franchising, where she gained experience in training, sales, operations, and special events. Those skills would eventually become valuable assets in the nonprofit world.

While living in Washington, D.C., Goodman volunteered for two years on an HIV hotline at Whitman-Walker Clinic. She remembers a time when information was scarce, fear was pervasive, and many people had nowhere to turn.

She and other volunteers distributed hotline numbers and condoms, encouraging people to call for help. The experience changed her understanding of what meaningful work could be.

In 1990, she sold her business and joined the National Minority AIDS Council, which provided advocacy, lobbying, and technical assistance to organizations responding to the crisis. “This really fueled my soul,” she recalls. “It fueled my heart. We’re in a crisis, and I can do something about it. The opportunity to feed the soul was unbelievable and life changing.”

Big-picture thinking + personal commitment

That sense of purpose later became a hallmark of her work at PSUSDF. During her tenure, Goodman helped strengthen the organization and build relationships with donors who wanted to make a difference for local students.

“What sets Ellen apart is her ability to combine big-picture thinking with the personal commitment and implementation needed to achieve meaningful results,” says Richard Clapp, a former longtime member of the District’s Board of Education. “She has the determination to find the pathways to make opportunities happen.”

When Goodman left the Foundation, she wanted time to consider what came next — and to discover what she wanted her next chapter to look like.

What she didn’t expect was that some of the most important preparations for her new role would happen far from an office, during a summer of travel, reflection, and learning to be comfortable on her own.

That learning came during a period of significant personal change. Goodman had lost her longtime partner, Bianca, with whom she had shared 23 years, and was reconsidering how she wanted to spend the time ahead.

She considered leaving the desert, but something unexpected happened. “The thought of no longer working in this community brought me to tears,” she said. “I got very emotional and I thought, I can’t do it. I have to stay here.”

Finding the next step on her journey while on a journey

Goodman traveled to Paris, a city she had visited many times, and then to Greece. This time, she made a conscious decision not to fill every quiet moment with a distraction. Instead, she practiced simply being present.

At first, it was uncomfortable. In Paris, she had to push herself to go for walks and revisit familiar places. By the time she reached Athens, she was beginning to settle into the experience.

One evening, she went to a hotel rooftop overlooking the Acropolis. Rather than checking her phone or searching for company, she sat and watched the sunset and the lights come on across the city. “Everything fell into place,” she says.

The journey also brought unexpected perspective. In Greece, Goodman encountered women from different countries, some of whom had few places where they could feel safe and accepted. As someone who had long been part of communities where she could openly live her life, she understood more deeply how much she had taken for granted.

Her travels were not a retreat from the world so much as a chance to pay closer attention to it — and to recognize experiences beyond her own.

And then came DAP Health

DAP Health offered a way to remain rooted in her beloved Coachella Valley while drawing on the experience she had accumulated over decades and do work she believes can make a tangible difference.

As she joins the DAP Health family, Goodman feels like she is coming full circle, in a sense.

“I learned early on that when people listen to one another, build trust and find common ground, generosity can become a force for real change,” she says. “I feel this is something that I can do that will bring me joy and pleasure and make a difference for the people that are being served. I’m just very grateful.”