Karen R. Brown

Why did you choose NYU Wagner for graduate school?

I wanted to attend a MPA program that had a strong domestic focus. I also wanted to go to graduate school in the greatest city in the world. I was impressed with the faculty I met at a Wagner open house, who talked passionately about their very applied research projects.

Can you tell us a bit about your job responsibilities?

I play a leading role in executing the Community Foundation's fund development strategies and also provide philanthropic advisory services to a cadre of donor-advised fund holders who do significant grant making in southwestern Connecticut via their donor-advised funds housed at the Community Foundation.

What impact do you hope to make through your career and organization?

I hope to be able to help our community foundation have the revenue fuel for its exciting community impact initiatives. For example, thanks to a generous donor, we recently launched our Immigrant Success Fund, a new field of interest fund. This is an important field of interest fund, as Fairfield County has a growing immigrant population. I will work to raise funding for this fund in 2021.