Chris Steed

Chris Steed is Executive Director of the Fullerton Foundation, a private family foundation based in Gaffney, SC. He works with a board of dedicated directors to foster healthcare innovation throughout the Upstate of South Carolina and Western North Carolina.  Prior to that he served United Way of the Piedmont for 10 years–first as Vice President of Community Impact and then as President & CEO.

The cornerstone of Chris’s career has been strong professional commitment to  innovative programming, leveraged resources, and collaboration. He successfully obtained AmeriCorps*VISTA and RSVP grants through the Corporation of National and Community Services to support specific volunteer efforts in the Upstate of SC. He worked with community organizations to establish a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance initiative that annually returns nearly $3 million in tax refunds and credits to our local community.  Among his proudest professional accomplishments is the establishment of the Gifts In Kind Center that annually distributes more than $20 million in donated household goods to nonprofits throughout our region.

Chris chaired the SC Grantmakers Network during the COVID-19 crisis.  During that time, the Network established a strong relationship with the state nonprofit association and the United Way Association and leveraged ~$5 million in funding for nonprofits suffering during the pandemic.

Chris has served his community on various boards and committees including the Leadership Spartanburg Board of Regents, Spartanburg Housing Authority Board of Commissioners, Spartanburg Academic Movement, Advisory Board for AFL, Spartanburg Community College, and the Spartanburg Community Indicators Cabinet.  He currently serves as a Director on the boards of Philanthropy Southeast, SC Grantmakers Network, KNOW(2), Leadership Cherokee, and the Gaffney Rotary Club.  Chris is an active member of the prestigious Blue Ridge Institute for Southern Community Service Executives.

Chris is a proud product of Spartanburg School District 7. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Winthrop University and a master’s degree in Social Work from the University of South Carolina.  He is a Riley Institute Diversity Fellow and completed the Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management program at Harvard Business School.

Chris is married to Erin Hunter Steed, a principal genetic counselor with Integrated Genetics. They are proud parents of 17 year old Sarah and 14 year old JT – two obvious geniuses that will, no doubt, save the world some day! In his spare time, Chris enjoys family, travel, cooking, auctions, and entertaining.