Introducing CFW’s New President and CEO

CHICAGO FOUNDATION FOR WOMEN ANNOUNCES 

NEW PRESIDENT AND CEO 

Nourishing Hope executive Keenya Lambert to lead Foundation forward 

May 7, 2024 – CHICAGO – Today, Chicago Foundation for Women announced its new President and CEO, Keenya Lambert, following a national search that generated a diverse and wide slate of quality candidates. Lambert will start June 3, replacing Interim President and co-founder Sunny Fischer.  

A Chicago native, Lambert comes with 20 years of successful non-profit experience in fundraising, advocacy, direct service and executive leadership. She has dedicated her career to funding movements that support justice, equity and opportunity, most recently as the Chief Development Officer at Nourishing Hope. Under Lambert’s leadership, her team of 11 raised millions of dollars, earned the inaugural Northern Trust Anchor Award of $1 million, and managed over 6,700 volunteers to help provide over four million meals a year to any person experiencing hunger in the city of Chicago.  

She is currently a member of CFW’s South Side Giving Circle, already living the Foundation’s mission of investing in women and girls as catalysts for building strong communities for all.  

“Keenya is a creative, compassionate, and seasoned professional who believes in collaboration and values-centered leadership,” said CFW Board Chair Jessica Sohl. “She has worked on the social problems and challenges that our grantees deal with every day. Our organization is ready for its next chapter of impact with her driving us forward.” 

Prior to serving at Nourishing Hope, Lambert led the development operations for the Shriver Center on Poverty Law. For nearly a decade at the organization, she built a robust individual giving program, funded state and federal advocacy campaigns, and engaged national public leaders and celebrities as ambassadors of economic and racial justice.  

She has also held various positions with The Chicago Urban League, KIPP Chicago, Arts Alliance Illinois and Street-level Youth Media. Lambert has long been a strong advocate for diversity, equity, inclusion in fundraising and philanthropy, mentoring and supporting professionals of color in their growth and success in these fields. 

“I am humbled, honored, and ready to dive into the tremendous work of this Foundation that is so profoundly committed to uplifting women, girls, non-binary and transgender individuals through investment, advocacy and leadership training,” said Lambert. “I want a better future for my daughter, for all women and girls. The organizations that the Foundation funds are doing transformational, powerful work and I am eager to support and grow those efforts that are helping women not just survive but thrive.”   

Chicago Foundation for Women raises money to fund and support organizations that help women and girls—it’s all about making smarter connections between need, money, and solutions. We believe that when women and girls are secure, whole communities are made better. We improve the lives of women and girls through grants, advocacy, leadership development, and public and grantee education. Since 1985, Chicago Foundation for Women has invested more than $45 million through over 4,000 grants, annually impacting 226,000 women, girls, trans, and gender nonbinary individuals across the Chicago region, so they are healthy, safe, and economically secure and helping thousands of women and girls become philanthropists. We envision a world where women and girls can reach their full potential and live in safe, just, and healthy communities. 

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