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The Community Foundation serving Tyne & Wear and Northumberland today announces the appointment of John Hollingsworth as its new Chief Philanthropy Officer and deputy CEO. John, who was born and raised on Tyneside, has for 10 years held leading roles in charities in Detroit, Michigan.
The role of Chief Philanthropy Officer is central to the Community Foundation’s ambition to grow the scale of giving addressing community needs in North East England. Every year, the Foundation awards millions of pounds in grants to small, local charities and community organisations through funds set up by its donors. Since 1988, over £150m has been distributed to support people and communities.
Since 2016, John Hollingsworth has served as Development Director for Racquet Up Detroit, a community-based charity which uses the sport of squash to engage young people in education, supporting them to access college and launch a career. At Racquet Up, John has led work with private philanthropists and foundations, including on a £5m capital campaign for the charity’s new purpose-built facility. Previously, John was Director of Communications and Marketing at Starr Commonwealth, a leading social service charity in Michigan. Before moving to the US, he held roles with the National Trust for Scotland, NHS Scotland and Royal Bank of Scotland. John has a degree in journalism and an MBA.
Commenting on his appointment, John Hollingsworth said:
“To serve North East England as part of the UK’s most successful Community Foundation team will be an honour and a privilege. I’ve been fortunate to work with some outstanding organisations, both in the UK and the US, and I’m inspired by the Community Foundation’s rich history of social impact. I have loved being part of Detroit’s vibrant and innovative charity sector for the past ten years. The experience has been life-changing and the community has been incredibly supportive. I’m now beyond excited to come home to the North East and help expand philanthropy in the region that means so much to me and my family.”
Community Foundation CEO, Rob Williamson, said:
“We had an exceptional field of candidates for the Chief Philanthropy Officer. But John stood out for his strategic vision, commitment to social impact and the breadth of his experience in both the US and UK. That will be vital as we drive forward our plans to build more and better philanthropy to benefit our area. And, of course, John’s passion for serving the region where he grew up shone through! We are very excited that he is joining our team and look forward to introducing him to our family of donors and grantees.”
John is relocating to North East England with his family and will join the Community Foundation in person later in the year.
See John’s LinkedIn profile here.