San Francisco – Northern California Grantmakers (NCG) is pleased to announce that Ellen LaPointe has been selected as its new President and CEO.
Ellen brings over 20 years of experience building strategic partnerships in both the private and public sector to NCG, including serving as vice president of strategic partnerships at HopeLab, a private operating foundation started by Pam Omidyar that leverages the power and appeal of technology to improve health and well-being. She also served as Executive Director of Project Inform, a national non-profit AIDS treatment information and advocacy organization, and Director of Clinical Research at Saint Francis Memorial Hospital in San Francisco.
“Ellen’s depth and breadth of experience in using partnerships and collaborations to drive social change really stood out to our search committee,” said Jeff Malloy, NCG CEO search committee member and Director of Finance and Administration at The James Irvine Foundation. “She is appreciative of NCG’s rich history and extremely committed to NCG’s new strategic direction. We believe she will be a huge asset in helping our members work together in ways that will increase philanthropy’s impact in northern California.”
“We have all been energized by Ellen’s excitement for NCG’s new strategic direction. We need a leader who can spark that level of interest in our members,” said Judy Patrick, NCG board chair and Director of Public Policy at the Women’s Foundation of California. “Throughout our interview process, she showed a wonderful spirit of inquiry and keen listening skills as we discussed the opportunities and challenges that face the philanthropic sector now and in the future.”
Ellen will work closely with current NCG leadership and the NCG Board over the next few months to develop and roll-out the plan for the organization’s new strategic direction. She will officially start her position on January 1st.
“NCG has a proud legacy of bringing its members together to make a difference in our region. To remain vital in an era in which many membership-driven organizations are facing significant challenges, NCG must continue to leverage our collective capacity, learn together, and become stronger as we go. NCG has the DNA, the track record and the drive to achieve this goal,” said Ellen LaPointe. “I am delighted to have been invited to lead this organization at such an exciting time. I look forward to working closely with the NCG Board and staff, our members, and other stakeholders to collaborate even more effectively to enrich the communities in which we all live and to strengthen the philanthropic sector as a catalyst for real-world impact.”
NCG would also like to thank the CEO Search Committee -- Jeff Malloy, Dean Osaki, Diane Parnes, Brenda Solorzano – for the time and commitment that they put into the search process.
Press inquiries please contact NCG Communications Specialist Marisela Orta at morta[at]ncg[dot]org or at 415.777.4111 ext 22. And to reach Ellen personally, contact her at elapointe[at]ncg[dot]org.