As the newly appointed President and CEO, Kara is responsible for developing and strengthening Foundation relationships and assuring donor stewardship across the region on behalf of the Community Giving Foundation and its affiliates, fundholders and community partners. In her previous role as Chief Advancement Officer, she helped donors establish funds to support their passions through community giving, both now and in perpetuity. Kara works together with the eight Foundation staff members to develop and implement strategies for all communications and development encompassing the Foundation and its Affiliates (Berwick, Bloomsburg, Danville, Selinsgrove, and Sunbury) and various other donor-advised, field of interest, agency and school district endowments, scholarship, designated, unrestricted and pass-through funds established at the Foundation. Kara carries out the Foundation’s values while working with all donors to personalize their charitable giving now and in the future.
Because the Foundation is invested in the philanthropic impact across the region, staff serve on many boards to engage with nonprofits and understand the current needs. Kara proudly serves on the following boards and committees: Foundation of the Columbia-Montour Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Susquehanna Valley (LSV), LSV Program Committee, Central Columbia Education Foundation, Susquehanna Valley United Way Regional Equity Committee, the Women’s Giving Circle Steering and Outreach and Education Committees of the Community Giving Foundation.
While earning her B.A. in Communication Studies from Bloomsburg University, Kara discovered her passion for nonprofit work and helping others through an internship with the Children’s Miracle Network. Early in her career, she worked in marketing and communications at Geisinger Health Plan and the Berwick Area Chamber of Commerce. Kara has held several positions at the Foundation since 2004, including communications officer and program officer. Kara resides in Mifflinville with her husband, Kirk, their sons Ky and Koy, and their two pups Kopper and Konnor.
Al is responsible for the Foundation's Finance/Accounting Department, including processing, calculating, and allocating all transactions to the approximately 300 endowed and non-endowed funds. Once all transactions are recorded and reconciled, Al prepares various financial reports to distribute and review with fundholders and affiliate boards. Other responsibilities include: (1) developing and maintaining internal accounting controls to ensure that Foundation assets are adequately safeguarded, (2) annually working with the CEO to create the operating budget and monitoring its adherence to actual income and expenses, and (3) serving as the liaison to the Foundation's Audit & Finance Committee, investment managers, bankers, auditors, and insurance brokers.
Prior to joining the Foundation team in 2012, Al worked in several positions finance positions including internal auditor, controller, and public accounting manager. Al earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and Finance from LaSalle University in 1989, and attained his Certified Public Accountant certificate from the state in 1994.
As the Director of Philanthropy, Alyssa is responsible for the development and implementation of donor strategies with a commitment to establishing personalized and impactful funds, supporting donors and fundholders, and strengthening connections across the region. Alyssa works closely with the President and CEO to bolster referral pipelines and serve as a spokesperson and presenter on behalf of the Foundation. She will focus on initiating community connections that drive awareness of and participation in the Foundation's work, seizing opportunities to engage new partners. Her goal is to serve the Foundation by staying educated on new strategic and comprehensive approaches to expand philanthropy and the services we provide to our fundholders.
Alyssa received her master's degree in educational leadership from Bloomsburg University in 2015. She served most recently as the Education and Enrichment Director at the Berwick Area YMCA and previously worked on well-being and community development initiatives at Arizona State University. Her passions for community engagement, education, and development have led her to a role in community giving on a regional level.
In addition to her work, Alyssa enjoys coaching youth sports, supporting the arts, and spending time with her husband, Iopu, and two sons, Makai and Kaisen.
As the Communications Officer, Katie is responsible for the development and production of internal and external communication for Foundation outreach, donor stewardship, digital media, and philanthropic resources. Through collaboration with staff and boards, her oversight ensures communication is strategic and meaningful for all audiences while maintaining consistent brand messaging and focus on personalized philanthropy opportunities. She also manages all Foundation and affiliate event planning and logistics.
Prior to joining the Foundation staff in early 2019, Katie served in nonprofit development and communication roles in the Bloomsburg and Philadelphia areas. Katie holds a degree in Marketing from Eastern University, is a 2020 Leadership Central Penn graduate, and is currently pursuing an MBA. She lives in Berwick and enjoys serving at the Orangeville Public Library and playing music with her band, Freedom Calls.
As the Program Officer, Eric implements and facilitates the grantmaking, Youth in Philanthropy, Nonprofit Leadership Series, and scholarship programs of the Foundation. In addition, he works with the President and CEO and affiliate boards to oversee the competitive and strategic grantmaking process and collects all relevant information necessary for a thorough review of grant proposals and/or evaluation of existing programs. His work encompasses the Foundation and its affiliates, as well as pass-through grants such as Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.
Prior to becoming Program Officer in 2022, Eric served as the Foundation’s Operations Assistant. His previous experience includes working as a Conference Officer for the Columbia-Montour Domestic Relations Office. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Bloomsburg University in both Political Science and Philosophy. Eric is a native of the Berwick/Nescopeck area and is dedicated to helping the community he calls home grow and improve every day.
Karri assists the Program Officer in implementing and facilitating the grantmaking, Youth in Philanthropy, Nonprofit Leadership Series, and scholarship programs of the Foundation. In addition, she works with the President/CEO and affiliate boards to oversee the competitive and strategic grantmaking process and collects all relevant information necessary for a thorough review of grant proposals and/or evaluation of existing programs. Her work encompasses the Foundation and its affiliates in Berwick, Bloomsburg, Danville, Selinsgrove, and Sunbury, various scholarship funds and pass-through grants such as Nurse-Family Partnership and Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.
Karri joined the Foundation team late December 2015. Prior to becoming program associate in 2021, she was responsible for providing a wide range of administrative and office support for staff to faciliate the effective and efficient operation of the Foundation.
Previously, Karri has more than 16 years' experience providing social service and administrative support to Families Caring for Children, Inc. She then became the Daycare Director at the Berwick AREA YMCA where she impacted the lives of many children. Karri has been the Board Vice President for Beyond Violence, Inc. since 2002 and has been involved with the agency since 1999.
As the Operations Assistant, Shelli works closely with the Foundation's Director of Philanthropy to ensure efficiency by utilizing the Foundation's database software to its fullest capabilities. She also provides support to the development and finance departments by processing incoming donations and organizing meetings and other tasks as needed.
Prior to joining the Foundation team, Shelli worked for KN-AN Inc. and Lehrine Inc. as a bookkeeper. She also owned and operated Red Brick Studios for many years. Shelli is a native of Nescopeck and is married to her husband, Scott. They have one daughter, Nicole, who lives in York, PA.
Kim joined the Foundation team in October 2021. She is responsible for providing a wide range of administrative and office support for the Foundation President/CEO and staff to facilitate the effective and efficient operation of the organization.
Kim has lived in the Nescopeck/Berwick area most of her life. Prior to joining the Foundation team, she worked as a para-professional for many years before becoming a receptionist for the Berwick Area School District. Kim resides in Berwick with her husband (Ed), sons (Justin and Jarret), and her cats (Sassy and Swiffer).