Explore our Bonobo Conservation Blog! Discover the differences between bonobos and chimpanzees and find updates on our conservation work and bonobo rewilding efforts. Plus - new research findings about bonobos and great apes, what it's like to visit Lola ya Bonobo sanctuary, and more.
Lizzie joined Friends of Bonobos in August 2025 as Director of Philanthropy. She brings many years of fundraising and leadership experience and is passionate about protecting the environment so that bonobos, other species, and people can thrive together.
Before joining Friends of Bonobos, Lizzie served as Executive Director of the Durham Literacy Center, a community-based organization providing adult education and workforce development programs to U.S. residents, immigrants, and refugees, including many from the Democratic Republic of Congo. She has also taught English to adults in the Slovak Republic.
Lizzie holds a Master’s in Social Work from UNC Chapel Hill and a Bachelor’s in Sociology and Anthropology from Earlham College.
Candor Bourne, Director of Conservation Partnerships
Candor has a background in and passion for community-based forest conservation. She builds relationships with individuals and institutions to support our holistic approach to bonobo conservation. Previously, Candor worked in women’s health, alternative education program development in North Carolina and Ecuador, and leadership coaching. She loves working for and within intact matriarchies!
QUALIFIED CHARITABLE DISTRIBUTIONS
A Qualified Charitable Contribution (QCD) is a direct transfer of funds from your IRA, payable to Friends of Bonobos.
QCDs can be counted toward satisfying your required minimum distributions (RMDs) for the year as long as certain rules are met.
In addition to the benefits of giving to charity, a QCD excludes the amount donated from taxable income, which is unlike regular withdrawals from an IRA.
Ariel has devoted much of her life to community building and organizing around a cause, and has more than 25 years of experience in fundraising, marketing, management, and activism. She brings an entrepreneurial mindset and creative problem-solving to her role, enhanced by having lived, worked, and studied all over the world. Upon joining Friends of Bonobos in 2018, Ariel created and executed FOB’s first strategic development plan and succeeded in nearly doubling revenue in the first year. She continues to think big and is focused on growing FOB’s revenue, capacity, and reach.
In 2020, Ariel was named to the University of Edinburgh Business School’s list of 100 distinguished alumni. She was selected from among 17,000 EUBS graduates over the school’s 100-year history for having made a significant impact in her field, demonstrating what can be achieved and serving as an inspiration for current students. Previously, Ariel served as Executive Director of Go Conscious Earth and Development Director for Congo Education Partners, both nonprofit organizations working in the DR Congo.
Through her leadership, Go Conscious Earth brought clean water to over 30,000 people while protecting rainforest and wildlife. Prior to working in nonprofits, Ariel founded a niche video production company with clients ranging from international globe-trotters to 5-star Generals to Robert De Niro. Ariel has a BA in Communications from the University of Auckland and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Edinburgh.