Kathy Reich
Director, BUILD, Ford Foundation
Kathy Reich leads the Ford Foundation’s BUILD initiative both in the United States and in the foundation’s 10 global regions. Kathy guides Ford’s efforts to implement sector-leading approaches to support the vitality and effectiveness of institutions and networks that serve as pillars of broader social movements. Before joining Ford in 2016, Kathy worked for 15 years at the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, most recently as organizational effectiveness and philanthropy director, where she led a cross-cutting program to help grantees around the world strengthen their strategy, leadership and impact. Prior to that, she was policy director of a non-profit, served as a legislative assistant on Capitol Hill, and worked for state and local elected officials in California. Kathy currently serves on the boards of Grantmakers for Effective Organizations and the Peninsula Jewish Community Center, and co-chairs the Fund for Shared Insight. She was selected as a Schusterman Fellow in 2016.
Related Sessions
Strengthening Grantees: What Funders Can Do
Amber Bradley
Pam Foster
Lisa Jackson
Kathy Reich
Nadege Souvenir
“Capacity building” has been a buzzword in foundation circles for years. New research from CEP shows that, while there are areas of alignment between funders’ perceptions of nonprofits’ need and nonprofits’ actual needs, there are also crucial areas of disconnect. Worse, many nonprofit leaders say they fear asking for what they really need. How can funders break through and truly strengthen organizations in shared pursuit of impact? This session will feature an examination of innovative approaches to strengthening nonprofits, as well as interactive exercises to help funders reflect on how they can best strengthen the organizations they fund.