Kate Miller Honored by Council for Philanthropy

(HARTFORD, CT) Kate Miller, executive director of The Fund for Greater Hartford, has been named recipient of the 2012 Martha S. Newman Award by the Connecticut Council for Philanthropy. Kate, a resident of West Hartford, was honored for sustained dedication to the public sector and a generosity of spirit to others in the philanthropic community.
 
According to Pat Baker, immediate past chair of the Council and executive director of Connecticut Health Foundation, “Kate is an articulate and grounded leader who never forgets that we as foundation staff are not what it is all about; rather, she understands that we are here to facilitate the mission of the non-profits we fund. She brings great humility to her position as a grantmaker.

Kate has served as the executive director for The Fund for Greater Hartford for nearly eleven years.  During this time, she ushered the foundation into a new era, with the name change from The Hartford Courant Foundation and establishment of an independent office.  

“It is fitting that Kate be honored with the award, for Martha Newman was the first executive director of the Hartford Courant Foundation,” said Nancy Roberts, president of the Connecticut Council for Philanthropy.

Prior to this position Kate served as the first staff person for the Hartford Neighborhood Development Support Collaborative, a consortium of funders dedicated to providing operating support and technical assistance to community development organizations in Hartford.  She served in this position for five years and still provides leadership to the Neighborhood Support Collaborative.  Because of Kate’s long and trusted role as an advocate for those most in need in Hartford, she continues to be invited to tables where the conversation is centered on the neighborhoods and residents of the city.

Kate worked in the Hartford community for more than three decades in both grant-seeking and grant-making organizations.  Among other positions, she ran Foodshare’s first capital campaign for their building in Windsor (they are now located in Bloomfield).  

Kate was a corporate grantmaker and corporate responsibility officer for nine years for the former Connecticut Mutual.  In this capacity her duties ranged from grant reviews, corporate response to shareholder resolutions, and management of the Social Purpose Investment Program which provided high-risk, low-interest loans for affordable housing and other community projects.

Kate, a clear leader in philanthropy in Connecticut, served as a mentor to many funders and as chair of the Connecticut Council for Philanthropy.  Both as the chair, committee chair, and an active engaged member of the Council she represented Connecticut philanthropy at the Council of Foundations and at Foundations on the Hill.

The award was established in 2007 by the Council to honor the life and work of Martha S. Newman, who before her death in 2005 served as a staff member for several grantmaking organizations. Her combination of firmness and gentleness, her work ethic, integrity and dedication, and her knowledge of community needs made her an invaluable staff member, mentor and friend. Martha Newman set the standard for an exemplary staff member. For more information about the Newman Award including previous recipients visit the Council’s website.

The Connecticut Council for Philanthropy is a nonprofit membership association of grantmakers committed to promoting and supporting effective philanthropy for the public good in Connecticut. The award was presented at the Council’s 2012 Connecticut Philanthropy Summit on May 23. For more information about the Council, visit www.CTphilanthropy.org or call 860-525-5585.
 
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Contact:

Nancy Roberts
Connecticut Council for Philanthropy
860-525-5585
ccp@CTphilanthropy.org

Website: www.CTphilanthropy.org