Community advocate. Problem solver. Connector. For nearly 20 years, Dawn Chavous has been behind the scenes handling major public and private ventures, developing public policy and for the last 8 years, leading Chavous Consulting. Proudly committed to diversity, her firm is WMBE and DBE certified. 

Dawn upholds the belief that zip code shouldn’t define opportunity. As champion for community impact, Dawn enhances and elevates engagement efforts of organizations, resulting in raising over $10M in direct funding for clients. A former chief of staff for a Pennsylvania State Senator, she has applied her acumen and experience in government in her community advocacy. An elected committee person, Dawn utilizes her voice to inform and ignite the community of over 400 constituents. 

A lifelong Philadelphia resident who cares deeply about her community, Chavous has channeled her experience into purpose by working with for-profit and nonprofit entities to enhance their organizational goals and community engagement efforts. 

Chavous learned the importance of advocacy and service early on, raised by her mother, a social worker and activist, and her father, an entrepreneur, Vietnam veteran and community volunteer. Growing up in a community that embraced and nourished public service, Dawn’s trajectory towards her philanthropic career was cultivated from an early age by a village of people who nurtured, mentored, and inspired Chavous' desire to make a difference.

With degrees in psychology and sociology from Ursinus College, along with a M.S. from the University of Pennsylvania in organizational development, Chavous has made helping people reach their full potential her life’s work. At Ursinus, an opportunity to run an America Reads program in the Pottstown/Norristown area, coupled by her own k-12 educational experience, as well as serving as a former student board member at the Philadelphia School Board of Education, had a profound effect on her future calling in fighting for education equity and equal access to educational opportunities.

Influencing transformation day-by-day is how Chavous handles both her business and passion for volunteering. As the co-founder and board president of a nonprofit, Sky Community Partners, Inc., Chavous devotes much of her free time as a change agent through volunteer community advocacy and supporting Sky's mission to support underserved, low-income families by eliminating barriers that keep individuals from being healthy and well educated to ultimately improve outcomes for at-risk communities in Philadelphia. 

Founder and President of Chavous Consulting, Dawn translates her personal values into memorable professional successes for her clients. She strives to make change possible across multiple areas such as community engagement, fundraising, event and strategic planning, and government relations.

Chavous’ mission is to give back to the people and place that have shaped her. Both Chavous and her consulting firm have been honored by several organizations. Awards include the Philadelphia Inquirer's Corporate Philanthropy Citizen, Philadelphia Leadership Inc. Philadelphia Connectors, BAEO Under 40 Education Leader, Philadelphia NAACP Top Influential Women, Prince Hall Free Mason’s Honor & Good Will Community Service, the Joan Shepp Women of Style & Substance, the Malik Aziz Community Champion Award, and the Philadelphia NAACP Youth Council Women who lead in Excellence Award. Dawn is also a member of the Black Women’s Leadership Council (BWLC), the National Coalition of 100 Black Women Pennsylvania Chapter, and was appointed by Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney to serve on the Philadelphia Commission for Women. Dawn resides in South Philadelphia with her husband, two sons and dog.