The National Philanthropic Collaborative for Young Women’s Initiatives announces Kara Dunovant as its next National Director. Kara brings many years of experience in youth advocacy and nonprofit leadership, along with a deep commitment to serving girls and young women of color. In her most recent role at the Earl Carl Institute for Legal and Social Policy, she facilitated the inaugural Young Women’s Initiative and the Young Women’s Advisory Council in Houston, Texas, in partnership with the Texas Women’s Foundation, a founding member of the Collaborative. Kara brings to this work her robust educational training as well as on the ground experience centered around the lives of young women of color. Kara has worked from an affirming and strengths-based approach throughout her career and has demonstrated her ability to grow an initiative or program from the ground up. She is the Founder and Director of The Sparkle Initiative, which is a community-based mentorship organization designed to teach young girls the importance of public speaking to advocate for themselves and their communities. Kara has also contributed her legal expertise and focus on policy in many roles, including at the NYC Coalition for Educational Justice and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.
Her skills are essential for The National Collaborative, as it now enters a new period of growth and expansion. The impact of the National Collaborative has grown in its seven-year history, starting with 8 founding members: The New York Women’s Foundation, Women’s Foundation of Minnesota, Women’s Foundation of Greater Memphis, Washington Area Women’s Foundation, Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts, Texas Women’s Foundation, Women’s Foundation of Alabama, and The Women’s Foundation of California. The Collaborative has now grown to include the Women’s Foundation of Mississippi and the Boston Women’s Fund.
Kara has a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistic and African American Studies from SUNY at Buffalo and a Law Degree from Georgetown University Law Center.
Kara starts in her position on July 18th and can be reached at kdunovant@nywf.org.
Please join us in welcoming Kara,
The National Collaborative of Young Women’s Initiatives
