GCRI Welcomes New Executive Director, Courtney Bourns

On behalf of GCRI’s Board of Directors, I am delighted to introduce Courtney Bourns as our new Executive Director.

Courtney comes to us with a unique range and depth of experience in philanthropy: for the last six years, Courtney has served as a strategy and program consultant to dozens of foundations around the country, and prior to that she was the Senior Program Officer at the Henry P. Kendall Foundation, which focused on strengthening sustainable food systems across the New England region. Courtney also served as the VP of Programs at Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO), a national philanthropic support organization.

Courtney’s experience is the ideal match for the leadership of GCRI as we embark on our next chapter. She is ready to facilitate strategy conversations, design engaging programs and grow and strengthen our membership base. She is committed to a strong and effective philanthropic sector in Rhode Island, and is eager to get to know all of you and better understand how GCRI can tailor its offerings to your needs.

Courtney and I are working with GCRI’s board to map out the priorities for the next few months, which includes identifying a date for our next annual meeting and other opportunities to reengage our members in networking and learning opportunities. Stay tuned!

Please join me in welcoming Courtney to our community and wishing her well with all that lies ahead. You can reach her at courtney.bourns@unitedwayri.org.

Cheers,

Thomas Brendler

President, GCRI Board of Directors