HARTFORD, CT - Nancy Roberts, who has led the Connecticut Council for Philanthropy since 1991 through a period of great change and growth, has announced that she will step down as President by the end of March, 2013.
This was a challenging decision for me," said Nancy Roberts, as I will miss and the state and national collaboration and partnerships that are so unique to this field, and being at the heart of Connecticut’s philanthropic community. I will cherish the professional and personal friendships I've made and look forward to watching the Council and our region's philanthropic sector grow and thrive."
During her tenure, Nancy has led the Council to a leadership role in the State and within the Regional Association of Grantmakers movement nationwide. Her skill in connecting funders across the state and in facilitating partnerships and collaboration has been a key component in the growth of the organization.
The Council board chair, Kim Healey, Executive Director of the NewAlliance Foundation, said "Nancy’s extraordinary vision and leadership have enabled the remarkable growth of and impact upon the region's philanthropic community and has made the Connecticut Council for Philanthropy one of the region’s premier resources on philanthropy."
The Connecticut Council for Philanthropy was founded in 1969 to provide a setting where funders could come together to address common problems and interests. "Under Nancy’s leadership, the Council’s membership has more than doubled to include 109 private family and independent foundations, community foundations, donor advised funds, and corporate giving programs and foundations, representing the vast majority of institutional giving in our area."
She has positioned the Council as a network for funders - connecting grantmakers to address issues both individually and together; a resource for grantmaking – where both funders and nonprofit organizations can access critical information and services; and a voice for philanthropy - representing the philanthropic sector to key audiences and raising the understanding of the role and impact of philanthropy in our State.
In addition to her role as President of the Council, Nancy serves on the Governor’s Cabinet on Nonprofit Health and Human Services and the Hartford Seminary board. She served on the Task Force for the Early Learning Race to the Top Proposal, is a past Chair of the Board of the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers, served as chair of the Forum’s Accountability Initiative, and served on the international Coordinating Committee for the World Wide Initiative for Grantmaker Support (WINGS).
"Our region benefits greatly from a long tradition of thoughtful, innovative, and committed philanthropy. The Council’s mission to maximize the impact of philanthropic giving on community life through a growing network of diverse, informed, and effective grantmakers has been established through Nancy’s leadership and will continue into the future with our dedicated professional staff, committed Board of Directors, and engaged membership. We are so grateful for the 21 outstanding years Nancy has given to our region's philanthropic sector," continued Kim Healey.
The national search for Nancy Robert’s successor, conducted by a Search Committee of the Board, led by former Council Board Chair Patricia Baker, President and CEO of the Connecticut Health Foundation, has been concluded. The new president of the Council will be introduced at the Connecticut Philanthropy Summit on May 9, 2013.
About the Council
The Connecticut Council for Philanthropy is a statewide association of foundations, corporate programs and other funds whose mission is to promote and support effective philanthropy in Connecticut. With members representing more than 105 private and community foundations, federated funds, corporate foundations and giving programs, the Council is Connecticut’s foremost resource on philanthropy. The organization benefits the larger grantmaking community, the nonprofit sector and the public in the State.
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