Kathleen Simpson

Chief Executive Officer, The Russell Family Foundation

Kathleen Simpson is the Chief Executive Officer of The Russell Family Foundation, where she collaborates with the board to guide the Foundation’s strategic planning, programs and community affairs, and oversees the Foundation’s impact investing. She has extensive experience with both for-profit and nonprofit industries, and the financial advising of many entities, including deep involvement in operations. Kathleen previously served as the Foundation’s Chief Financial Officer for 5 years. Prior to joining the Foundation, she was Director of Finance for an independent wealth management firm serving individuals, multigenerational families and foundations. She also founded and operated a public accounting firm providing CFO services to businesses, high-net-worth families and non-profits for more than a decade. Kathleen is a certified public accountant and holds a Master of Business Administration degree. She serves on the board of directors for Confluence Philanthropy and American Leadership Forum of Tacoma Pierce County.  Kathleen also serves on the Investment Advisory Committee for the Bainum Family Foundation and the Advisory Board for University of Washington Tacoma’s Milgard Center for Leadership and Social Responsibility. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Washington State Society of Certified Public Accountants.

Contributions

Voices from the Field

Open Calls in Philanthropy: An Uncommon Approach that Can Reveal Weaknesses and Maximize Strengths

Posted on July 14, 2022 by Kathleen Simpson

hand pulling back white paper to reveal mountain backdrop
This article was originally published by Mission Investors Exchange and is re-posted here with permission. In philanthropy, the open call interview process to fill board- and committee-level positions is not typically a common practice. These positions are often filled by those who already have an existing relationship with the foundation, such as colleagues and associates, friends and family members. Reasons… Read More

Impact Investing: Aligning All Capital for Good

Posted on December 7, 2021 by Erika Seth Davies, Kathleen Simpson, Melanie Audette, Doug Bitonti Stewart

Impact investing is a powerful tool to align and maximize assets for good. The practice is growing increasingly common, yet many families are in search of guidance on how to begin or accelerate their impact investing pursuits. Join us to explore the fundamentals of impact investing, and learn more about structures like mission- and program-related investments as well as legal… Read More

2020 Trustee Education Institute

Posted on December 22, 2019 by Christopher Fletcher, Jennifer Davis, Robin Snidow, Kathleen Simpson, Laura Collins, Paul Liu, Greg Ratliff, Tamara Larsen, Dana Lanza, Shaady Salehi

past TEI attendees
Attendees, please visit the event website for the most up-to-date agenda and Zoom links. The website passcode was emailed to all registrants. NCFP’s Trustee Education Institute provides a comprehensive introduction to important legal, investment, ethical, grantmaking, and family dynamics issues facing family foundation board members. Featuring a faculty made up of donors, board members, and highly respected philanthropy experts, this… Read More