President and CEO Martha Powell to retire June 30th
President & CEO Martha Powell to retire after 23 years at London Community Foundation
A Message From Martha
Years ago I used to drive past London Community Foundation (LCF) and think about how lovely it would be to work there. I was inspired by an organization impacting the broader community beyond the healthcare sector I’d been privileged to be a part of up until that point in my career. Now, having spent over twenty years here, I can say it has fulfilled and surpassed my hopes and expectations. So, it is with mixed emotions that I share the news of my upcoming retirement with you, with my time at LCF coming to an end on June 30th, 2023.
During my time at LCF, we’ve gone from being an organization that called itself a leader to being an organization that is recognized as one. I’m incredibly proud of the work we’ve done to establish ourselves in this position. We show this leadership through projects like Vital Signs, which has become a source of learning for the wider community, and initiatives like Vision SoHo, which bring together multiple stakeholders to make a meaningful impact on some of the biggest challenges facing our community. More and more over recent years, donors and volunteers are coming forward from all walks of life, which speaks to the trust our community places in us.
This is a time of transition at the foundation. Many staffing changes have taken place over the past year, with a couple more in the process of happening now. To me, this feels like a good time for me to pass the torch, so the new President has the chance to get to know the new team as it continues to evolve.
Thank you to our wonderful donors, inspiring grantees who do such valuable work in the community, and of course all the passionate volunteers and colleagues I’ve worked with over the years. I have learned or experienced something new every day from you, and hope you continue to support and stand by LCF for many years to come. It has truly been a pleasure and a privilege working with you and learning from you.
Martha Powell
President and CEO
London Community Foundation
A Message From Erin
Throughout Martha’s 23 years at LCF, the world has faced some serious challenges, not least of all tackling a global pandemic. Under Martha’s guidance, the Foundation has proactively responded to problems like Covid-19 and London’s affordable housing crisis, establishing itself as a leader in the community by addressing issues such as homelessness and food insecurity.
On top of this, the Foundation has truly embraced a commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, ensuring that LCF strives to exceed expectations of how we support traditionally underserved populations. This commitment can be seen in the Foundation's stance on promoting trust-based philanthropy and unrestricted giving. Martha and her team actively challenge traditional power dynamics between donor and grantee, and take seriously their responsibility to work with donors to ensure they’re making the greatest possible impact.
Despite all this change, donations and grants have grown exponentially, even through difficult times, with the organization now stewarding over $115 million in assets. Throughout this sustained period of growth, Martha has ensured the Foundation has stayed true to its roots and continued to serve the community as best it can, never accepting or even settling for the status quo, and always pushing to create a community that is better for all.
The authentic care Martha has for her work has been demonstrated not only in the growth of the Foundation, but also in the team around her, and in the esteem in which so many of our community partners hold us. Martha, thank you for all your years of service, and for guiding the organization to a position of such strength so that it can continue to be a force for good in our community.
Erin Naylor
Chair of the Board of Directors
London Community Foundation