The Curtis Fund, a supporting organization of the Vermont Community Foundation, is pleased to announce Leilani Pearl has joined its Board of Directors. Pearl, who is the senior vice president and chief communications officer at the Parkinson’s Foundation, brings decades of nonprofit marketing and communications experience, as well as a passion for healthcare and education. Her appointment is notable in that Pearl herself is a former Curtis Fund scholar.
“With a scholarship from The Curtis Fund, I was able to enroll at the University of Vermont as a first-generation college student,” says Pearl. “A four-year degree opened many doors for me, including a path to a graduate degree. As both a Vermonter and a former scholarship recipient, I am honored to help Vermont students achieve their educational goals and secure a brighter future.”
Shana Trombley, executive director of The Curtis Fund, adds, “We are delighted to have Leilani join our Board of Directors. The leadership she brings as a nonprofit executive with an expertise in communications is welcomed as we work to raise awareness of the fund and its scholarships. We also value the insight and perspective she can share as a former Curtis Fund scholar.”
In her role at the Parkinson’s Foundation, Pearl guides the public relations and communications strategy to increase awareness of Parkinson’s disease. Prior to this, she worked in nonprofit healthcare communications to advocate for women’s health in Massachusetts. At the start of her career, Pearl spent nearly a decade in education, teaching literature and writing at the university and high school levels. She holds a master’s degree in English literature from Boston College. Her years of experience leading public awareness campaigns will help increase The Curtis Fund’s visibility.
This year, The Curtis Fund is providing scholarships to 700 students through its programs for both degree-seeking students and students pursuing a Credentials of Value training program. The Curtis Fund is committed to ensuring that every Vermonter, regardless of income, can earn a postsecondary degree or certificate—because in a small state, we can’t afford to leave any talent behind. To learn more about the fund, including how you can support, visit thecurtisfund.org.
The Curtis Fund joined the Vermont Community Foundation family in 2018, after existing for more than 108 years as a private foundation. Emma Eliza Curtis had no children of her own, but she held the belief that education could change the course of a person’s life. When she died in Burlington in 1910, she left $120,000 in trust to provide financial assistance to young Vermont men and women to pursue a postsecondary education. Since then, the Curtis Fund has grown that bequest to more than $31 million, with annual grants of approximately $1.5 million. Learn more at thecurtisfund.org.
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. For information on our COVID-19 response, visit vtcovid19response.org.