Our Team

Year I joined IP: 2018

What I bring to IP: The through-line in my multidisciplinary background is a commitment to strengthening communities and expanding safety and opportunity for children. My background in teaching, law, social work and nonprofit leadership has allowed me to work on a range of issues from housing to criminal justice; and through a variety of approaches, from policy and community engagement to social entrepreneurship and leadership development. From this, I bring an understanding of how nonprofits, government, business and philanthropy each play their part in bringing about meaningful change. 

What I love most about my work: I love being able to leverage my prior experience as both a funder and a grantee to contribute to the crucial work of hundreds of nonprofits and support the people who make up those organizations. Working in nonprofits, I experienced funders’ diverse approaches to selecting and supporting grant partners. I found certain processes, partnerships and investments to be invaluable to my own growth as a leader -- and my organization’s ability to realize the impact we sought for our community. As a funder, I remain acutely aware of the opportunity and responsibility that comes with sitting on this side of the table, developing grantmaking criteria, processes and relationships to honor and grow the incredible people and organizations we fund. I also love being able to share and compare strategies and lessons learned across a diverse team of colleagues working on behalf of foundations in different geographies and issue areas, continuously improving my practice as a strategic grantmaker. 

What I am most excited about learning right now: I am excited about a growing commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in nonprofit and philanthropic leadership. Over the years, I have sought out opportunities to learn about historic injustices as well as programmatic and personal practices to redress them. I have developed tools and strategies for infusing the values, priorities and practices of diversity, equity and inclusion in grantmaking and in the internal policies and practices of charitable organizations. I am eager to continue learning and growing in this space. 

What I do in a typical week: There is no typical week! I love that, in wearing different hats within the company and with foundation clients, my work is varied and dynamic, drawing on both my prior knowledge and experience and my love of continuous learning. As part of IP’s senior leadership team, I help to develop our company’s culture and talent through knowledge sharing, professional development and team-building tools and activities. In my work with foundations, I lead short- and long-term research and strategy projects and support board development and recruitment. I develop grantmaking frameworks and rubrics to help boards select and evaluate grantees. I go on site visits, attend workshops and meet with other funders to learn and collaborate for impact. I review and summarize grant applications, prepare panel discussions and board learning opportunities, think about how to measure the impact of the foundations we work with and the organizations they fund. I problem-solve, check in and laugh with colleagues, grantees and clients, and I am inspired and moved by the important work they do every day. 

What I do when I’m not working: I go for walks, do arts and crafts, or wrestle in the basement with my son. I weed my garden while listening to audiobooks. I run and do yoga. I play board- and parlor games with friends. And on the rare occasions I have longer stretches of free time, I immerse myself in one of my longstanding hobbies, playing piano or quilting.  

What my coworkers say about me: Laurel is a champion of the communities she works for and the staff that she mentors. She is a master at making connections and helping individuals and organizations move forward. She always presents herself authentically in a way that humbly demonstrates her expertise while evoking trust from her listeners.