Hi, I’m
Caroline McCoy
Chicago,IL
Summary
Purpose-centered leader rooted in community and collaboration with 19 years of experience in the social sector and philanthropy. Committed to advancing equity, justice, and movement-aligned strategies. Proven record of partnering with boards, community leaders, shaping organizational culture, and directing multi-million-dollar grantmaking portfolios. Recognized for relationship-centered leadership, aligning institutional resources with community self-determination, and guiding foundations toward bold, trust-based philanthropy.
Overview
18
years of professional experience
Work History
Woods Fund ChicagoChicago, Illinois
Vice President of Programs
01.2020 - 01.2024
Job overview
- Served as second in command to the President of racial justice-focused foundation, serving as a strategic thought partner and organizational integrator during a period of growth and transformation.
- Partnered with the President and Board to align grantmaking strategy with racial justice values, helping shift organizational culture toward trust-based philanthropy.
- Drove alignment across leadership, program and operations teams ensuring strategic decisions translated into actionable, measurable outcomes tied to mission and vision.
- Managed $6M in annual philanthropic capital with a focus on trust-based approaches that balanced risk, transparency, and relationship accountability.
- Provided strategic oversight to a portfolio of 80+ grassroots organizations, evaluating funding opportunities and managing long-term, values driven partnerships.
- Supervised and mentored program and grants staff. Embedded strong feedback loops, adaptive workflows, and shared decision-making structures.
- Represented the Foundation externally with funders, city agencies, and peer institutions to secure collaborative resources and elevate the institution's leadership in the field.
- Led cross-functional efforts, including capacity-building initiatives and board communications, to support organizational effectiveness and impact storytelling.
Robert R. McCormick FoundationChicago, Illinois
Program Officer
01.2016 - 01.2020
Job overview
- Led $2.5M health and wellness portfolio and spearheaded a $3M multi-sector initiative in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood focused on economic opportunity, housing, and education equity (both a part of the Foundation's $80M annual funding strategy).
- Codesigned and managed a community investment strategy, ensuring philanthropic resources aligned with resident-driven priorities in a historically disinvested Black neighborhood.
- Served as strategic advisors to executive leadership at partner organizations including the Chicago Blackhawks and Chicago Bulls, and co-created grant strategies and evaluation plans to align philanthropic investments with community-defined needs.
- Managed the full grantmaking lifecycle: from due diligence and site visits to recommendation memos and impact tracking to ensure funding decisions were timely, clear, and data informed.
- Facilitated cross-sector collaboration and relationship-building among grantees, city leaders, and institutional funders to advance community-driven solutions and systems change.
- Supported internal knowledge management and contributed to strategic planning, ensuring lessons from local investments informed foundation-wide decision-making.
Arabella AdvisorsChicago, Illinois
Associate Director
01.2015 - 01.2016
Job overview
- Served as primary point of contact for high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and institutional funders, advising on strategy, governance and execution for philanthropic entities.
- Partnered with clients to clarify vision, assess portfolio performance, and design initiatives aligned with both mission and market context.
- Oversaw all internal operations and project management for philanthropic foundations including managing workflows across legal, financial, and programmatic functions.
- Led strategy development processes, facilitated key decision-making moments, and translated complex ideas into implementation-ready plans and frameworks.
- Provided ongoing executive support to firm's principals, including meeting management, communication, and sensitive issue navigation.
- Championed quality assurance for all deliverables, ensuring that client work reflected clarity, precision, and alignment with stated goals.
Ounce of Prevention FundChicago, Illinois
Senior Project Manager
01.2011 - 01.2015
Job overview
- Provided strategic and tactical support to Senior Vice President to ensure progress on strategic priorities.
- Managed several multi-million dollar federally funded early childhood projects and initiatives.
- Supported efficient implementation of project goals, including managing work plans, timelines, and priorities.
- Served as a liaison between the organization and collaborating entities; represented project leadership at internal and external meetings.
Ounce of Prevention FundChicago, Illinois
Policy Associate
01.2010 - 01.2011
Job overview
- Supported the work of statewide committees related to the development of a comprehensive early childhood system.
- Conducted community outreach, trainings, and presentations that increased the advocacy knowledge and capacity of diverse early childhood stakeholders.
- Supported the development and implementation of policy agendas and strategies to enhance programs and services at the state level.
Rush University Medical CenterChicago, Illinois
Development Associate
01.2007 - 01.2010
Job overview
- Managed prospect research to identify and solicit sources of corporate and foundation funding; participated in outreach and advancement activities.
- Drafted proposals, donor acknowledgements, and other communications in a timely manner.
- Secured corporate and foundation sponsorships for medical center fundraisers.
United Neighborhood OrganizationChicago, Illinois
Development Associate
01.2006 - 01.2007
Job overview
- Identified new funding opportunities from foundation, corporate, and government sources.
- Created a project-tracking system for key information, relationships, deadlines, submissions, and details on all grants and independent contributions.
- Built and maintained key relationships and collaborations with multiple donors and stakeholders.
Education
DePaul University, School of Public ServiceChicago, Illinois
Master of Science from Public Service Management
University Overview
- Golden Key International Honor Society.
- Thesis excerpts were incorporated into a leading journal on public service management
University of Illinois, Urbana-ChampaignUrbana-Champaign, Illinois
Bachelor of Arts from Political Science, African-American Studies
University Overview
Ronald E. McNair Scholar.
Skills
Trust-based Philanthropy
Equity-Centered Leadership
Capital Mobilization and Resource Strategy
Change Management
Cross-sector Collaboration
Partnership Building
Capacity Building
Effective Communication
Volunteer And Associations
- Association for Black Foundation Executives, New York, New York, Fellow, Connecting Leadership Fellowship Program, 2018-2019
- BMe Vanguard Fellowship, Miami, Florida, Fellow, 2019
- FullCircle, Albany, New York, Board Member
- Just Economy Institute, San Francisco, California, Fellow, 2024-2025
- Next Economy MBA, San Francisco, California, Cohort XV, 2025-2026
Availability
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saturday
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morning
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evening
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Timeline
Vice President of Programs
Woods Fund Chicago
01.2020 - 01.2024
Program Officer
Robert R. McCormick Foundation
01.2016 - 01.2020
Associate Director
Arabella Advisors
01.2015 - 01.2016
Senior Project Manager
Ounce of Prevention Fund
01.2011 - 01.2015
Policy Associate
Ounce of Prevention Fund
01.2010 - 01.2011
Development Associate
Rush University Medical Center
01.2007 - 01.2010
Development Associate
United Neighborhood Organization
01.2006 - 01.2007
DePaul University, School of Public Service
Master of Science from Public Service Management
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Bachelor of Arts from Political Science, African-American Studies