Chloe Czaplewski
"Inspiring Philanthropic Communities"
Chloe Czaplewski’s work in giving and strengthening her community is rooted in a formative experience from her early years. As a child, Chloe had neighbors who she considered family, and they had a little boy named Trent. Chloe took a trip to Jellystone with them when she was 12 and Trent was 5 – and this was when Trent started to have a very bad pain in his leg. Trent was diagnosed with a muscle tissue cancer that had him in and out of remission, and he passed away when he was 7. At the time, Chloe didn’t know how to talk about her emotions around his death.
Coming out of college, Chloe had a completely different trajectory from that of philanthropy. Ultimately wanting to teach Communication Studies, she pursued an AmeriCorps position through a nonprofit called Playworks where she worked in Twin City elementary schools. During her time with AmeriCorps, Chloe fell in love with service and saw the difference that a single person can make in a life. She was inspired by how children could grow into leadership with a caring and consistent adult present.
After her two years of AmeriCorps service, Chloe went on to work full-time with Playworks. While in this role, she also got her master’s degree in Nonprofit Management. These experiences taught her the fundamentals of mission-driven work. They further solidified her love for giving back and inspiring others to do the same.
When Chloe began her work at the Pinky Swear Foundation in 2020, she worked with advocates across the country from all walks of life to support children battling cancer. These donors ranged from corporate teams, to families, to community groups and more. Last year, she inspired 841 community members to support the Pinky Swear Foundation. This resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars of support for kids with cancer.
Now, as Donor Engagement Manager, Chloe’s focus is on strengthening supporter relationships with the Pinky Swear Foundation that can evolve into significant investment in the mission. The youngest donor who Chloe works with is 4, and the oldest is 78, but the common denominator among them is that they are all dedicated to helping kids with cancer. She can say Trent’s name every day. Chloe feels like she can work in his honor, and that is a gift. Supporters of the foundation all have that “spark,” and Chloe gets to help them channel this passion into action. The coolest part of the job, she says, is making philanthropy accessible for everyone – and getting to see the ripple effect of that throughout the community.
Chloe lives in St. Paul, MN with her wife, Emily, and corgi, Beau.
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