Connecticut Council for Philanthropy Announces New President
HARTFORD, CT -- Following a national search, the Board of Directors of the Connecticut Council for Philanthropy (CCP) announces that Karla Fortunato will be its new president, effective May 1.
Fortunato comes to CCP after 13 years at the Health and Environmental Funders Network (HEFN), a national alliance of 60 philanthropic organizations based in Rockville, MD. As director of HEFN, she has managed its programming, outreach, and operations, promoting collaboration on shared goals among its members. Fortunato previously served as associate director of policy for Health Care for All in Boston, engaging in policy research, communications, and campaigns, and as a consultant for The Public Policy Institute, also in Boston.
"Karla's experience in building alliances among funders and engaging in public policy outreach make her ideally suited to lead our organization," said Judith Meyers, chair of CCP's Board of Directors. "She is a proven leader with a strong vision of how to mobilize the power of philanthropy to effect positive change--and she has a true passion for the work."
Fortunato graduated magna cum laude from the Randolph-Macon Woman's College in Virginia and earned an MBA (also magna cum laude) from George Washington University. She serves on the Health Leadership Circle of MomentUs, a campaign for climate change solutions. She served as a member of the Serving Communities Committee of the National Conversation on Public Health and Chemical Exposures and as a citizen representative on the Montgomery County Citizen's Advisory Board. A native of Connecticut, she and her family look forward to relocating here from their current home in Jacksonville, Florida.
"I am honored to join Connecticut's grantmaking community as the next president of CCP," said Fortunato. "I believe that philanthropy has the power to catalyze transformative change and I am eager to bring my experience to my home state of Connecticut."
Fortunato will be the fourth president of CCP since its inception in 1969, following Maggie Gunther Osborn, who departed in June 2016 for the national Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers. David Davison, past president and CEO of the American Savings Foundation, will continue to serve as interim president until Fortunato arrives.
The search for CCP's new president was conducted by a committee of CCP members and directors, led by Michael Johnston, vice chair of the Board of Directors. The recruitment and selection process was supported by consultant Michael Negron of Third Sector New England, with generous support from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving's Executive Transitions Program.
The Connecticut Council for Philanthropy (CCP) is an association of grantmakers committed to promoting and supporting effective philanthropy for the public good. CCP's 114 members are foundations (private, corporate, community), business and corporate giving programs, bank trusts, donor-advised funds, individual philanthropists and those serving the philanthropic sector. CCP members annually grant more than $858 million from assets of more than $7.6 billion. CCP is a member of the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers, the largest network serving philanthropy in America.
For more information about CCP and CT grantmakers, visit CCP's website, www.CTphilanthropy.org, and publications, Giving in Connecticut, and Co-Creation: Viewing Partnerships Through a New Lens.