The J Warren & Lois McClure Foundation has hired Carolyn Weir, CAP, as executive director. The McClure Foundation, a supporting organization of the Vermont Community Foundation, provides grants that promote equitable access to education and training pathways that lead to Vermont’s promising jobs.
Weir, who previously served the McClure Foundation in an advisory role, is the organization’s first dedicated staff person. She steps into the new role as the organization is about to enter its milestone 25th year and is scaling up to provide over $600,000 in grants annually to mission-aligned organizations and programs across Vermont. In addition to her expanded responsibilities on the McClure Foundation’s leadership team, she continues to work as a senior philanthropic advisor at the Vermont Community Foundation.
At the McClure Foundation, Weir leads the effort to promote philanthropic best practices and alignment that strengthen Vermont’s education and workforce development systems and outcomes. Guided by a vision of a vibrant Vermont economy in which no promising job goes unfulfilled for lack of a qualified applicant, the McClure Foundation collaborates closely with the Vermont State Colleges, VSAC, the Agency of Education, the Department of Labor, and many others to serve students of all ages.
“In the eight years that Carolyn has advised our philanthropy, she’s built an incredible framework that maximizes the impact of our grantmaking dollars,” said Barbara Benedict, president of the McClure Foundation. “The strong relationships she’s developed with our partner organizations have moved us much closer to fulfilling the legacy of our founders to truly make a difference in Vermont.”
Weir joined the Vermont Community Foundation in 2011. After completing a two-year community philanthropy fellowship, she was promoted to philanthropic advisor and then to senior philanthropic advisor. Prior to joining the Community Foundation, she worked for a variety of social service and community development organizations.
Weir holds a Nonprofit Management Certificate from Marlboro College and a Bachelor of Arts degree in international politics and economics from Middlebury College. She lives in Weybridge with her husband and son.
About the McClure Foundation
The McClure Foundation promotes equitable access to college and career education for all Vermonters and has granted more than $4.5 million since 2008 in support of that goal. Through grants and convenings, the foundation continues the family tradition of project-oriented, collaborative philanthropy practiced by its founders, J. Warren and Lois McClure. To learn more about the foundation, which is a supporting organization of the Vermont Community Foundation, visit mcclurevt.org.
About the Vermont Community Foundation
The Vermont Community Foundation inspires giving and brings people and resources together to make a difference in Vermont. A family of hundreds of funds and foundations, we provide the advice, investment vehicles, and back-office expertise that make it easy for the people who care about Vermont to find and fund the causes they love. The heart of the Community Foundation’s work is closing the opportunity gap—the divide that leaves too many Vermonters struggling to get ahead, no matter how hard they work. We are aligning our time, energy, and discretionary resources on efforts that provide access to early care and learning, pathways to college and career training, support for youth and families, and community and economic vitality. We envision Vermont at its best—where everyone has the opportunity to build a bright, secure future. Visit vermontcf.org or call 802-388-3355 for more information.