Forum Inforum President and CEO Donna Murray-Brown has been named to lead the Council of Michigan Foundations.
Murray-Brown, who stepped down from Inforum this month, will succeed Kyle Caldwell, who has led the Detroit-based Council of Michigan Foundations for the past eight years and is retiring following a more than 30-year career in the nonprofit sector.
Murray-Brown, named to the role following a national search, will join Council of Michigan Foundations in January.
“Donna is a nationally recognized nonprofit and philanthropic leader known for her strategic vision, inclusive leadership and long-standing commitment to strengthening the social impact sector,” Beth Ardisana, immediate past board chairwoman of the Council of Michigan Foundations and a trustee of the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, said in a news release. “Throughout her career, she has worked tirelessly to unlock opportunities for historically under-resourced and underrepresented populations. Her bold leadership and her visionary approach will guide CMF’s future in service to strengthening and supporting Michigan philanthropy in building a better, more equitable Michigan for all.”
Murray-Brown has held top roles in the nonprofit sector since 2009, when she transitioned from a 22-year career in financial services and leadership roles that culminated at Charter One Bank.
She joined Detroit-based Inforum in January, after serving for two years as the inaugural vice president of strategy and development for the National Council of Nonprofits, leading initiatives that expanded funding, visibility and capacity across the 55-member network.
From a base in Louisville, Ky., where she moved with her husband in 2021, Murray-Brown also served as a national nonprofit consultant, advising clients on strategy, leadership development and organizational design.
Prior to that, she spent nearly 11 years with the Michigan Nonprofit Association, the last nine as president and CEO. Under her leadership, the Michigan Nonprofit Association launched state equity initiatives, directed Michigan’s 2020 Census complete count strategy, mobilized COVID-19 pandemic nonprofit response efforts, and increased investment in leaders of color across the sector.
Murray-Brown was named to the Crain’s Detroit Business Most Influential Women in Michigan list in 2021 and has received two nominations to the NonProfit Times’ Power & Influence Top 50 list
She currently serves as a trustee of the McGregor Fund, Candid, Housing Partnership Inc. and the Speed Museum, and serves on the leadership council for the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy at Grand Valley State University in West Michigan.
“I am honored to have been selected as the next president and CEO of the Council of Michigan Foundations at a moment when connection and collective action matter deeply to Michigan’s communities,” Murray-Brown said. “Throughout my career, I have seen what becomes possible when organizations learn from one another and bring their strengths to shared challenges … I look forward to listening to members across the state and helping create a place where the full breadth of Michigan philanthropy can connect, contribute and help build a stronger Michigan.”
Story by: Sherri Welch | Crain’s Detroit Business