Deaconess Foundation President and CEO Elected Chair of Philanthropy Board

Wilson

The National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP) board of directors elected new officers and welcomed five new esteemed members during its board meeting Wednesday, September 27, 2017.

The Rev. Starsky Wilson, president and CEO of Deaconess Foundation, was elected unanimously as the new chair of NCRP’s board, succeeding Sherece West-Scantlebury. West-Scantlebury, who leads Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, served as NCRP’s board chair for four years.

“The work of NCRP is needed now more than ever,” said West-Scantlebury, who is leaving the board due to term limits after serving for nine years. “Reverend Wilson’s leadership and commitment to social justice will enhance NCRP’s efforts to ensure our nation’s social movements are getting the philanthropic dollars they need to succeed.”

Under West-Scantlebury’s leadership, NCRP crafted a bold strategic framework that advocates for the kind of philanthropy that prioritizes and empowers underserved and marginalized communities, and seeks to solve long-term inequities and injustice. The organization pushed foundations to be more transparent, open and inclusive of stakeholder feedback in strategies and processes. It highlighted the untapped potential and capacity for meaningful philanthropic impact in the South. It examined the latest social justice giving trends among the country’s largest foundations.

“I am humbled to be asked to lead NCRP’s board at this important time,” said Wilson. “Philanthropy has an important role to play in helping our nation confront racial injustice and economic inequality. I am excited to work with such a remarkable group of nonprofit and foundation leaders committed to ensuring that philanthropy lives up to its highest aspirations — as transformational agents of just, equitable social change.”

New Leadership

The board also elected other new officers, including: Daniel Lee, executive director of the Levi Strauss Foundation, as the new vice-chair; and Cristina Jiménez, executive director and co-founder of United We Dream, as the new secretary. Vivek Malhotra continues as treasurer and Cynthia Renfro, principal of Civic Consulting, was re-elected as at-large delegate to the executive committee.

“I am excited to work with the incoming new board members. These are people I’ve long admired for their leadership and commitment to high-impact, responsive philanthropy. Fresh perspectives like theirs will bring a lot to the organization,” said Aaron Dorfman, president and CEO of NCRP.

Biographies of NCRP board members are available on www.ncrp.org.

The National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy amplifies the voice of nonprofits and the communities they serve in the philanthropic sector. Through research and advocacy, it works to ensure that grant makers and donors contribute to the creation of a fair, just and equitable world.