Speakers - Financial Resilience in the Nonprofit Sector

Laura Coy is responsible for overseeing William Blair’s philanthropy and sustainability teams and responsibilities. In this role, she works closely with clients, key stakeholders, and colleagues around the world to develop and optimize their sustainability efforts and charitable giving.

Laura works as a trusted advisor to high-net worth families, family offices, foundations, institutions, executives, boards, management teams, and investors on their sustainability programs and philanthropic planning. Laura also leads the firm’s operational sustainability efforts and impact investing initiatives. For the past nine years, Laura has overseen William Blair’s growing, global community engagement initiatives with a mission to inspire the next generation of philanthropists through its employee-centered matching and global grants programs.

Before joining William Blair, Laura was the senior manager of corporate social responsibility, public affairs manager, and senior corporate philanthropist for W.W. Grainger, Inc. While at Grainger, she designed and led its premier Corporate Social Responsibility program. Prior to working at Grainger, Laura worked for nonprofits including the National Alzheimer’s Association and the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum.

Laura serves on the leadership committee of the Illinois Holocaust Museum, the advisory board of ShowerUp Chicago, the leadership council of Loyola’s Baumhart Center, and is the board chair of North Park Elementary School. Laura received her B.S. in political science from the University of Illinois.

Kathy Kielar is the Vice President of Development at WTTW and WFMT. She has more than 20 years of experience in planned and major giving. Kathy leads WTTW and WFMT’s major gift annual fund, WFMT pledge drive, and gift planning team, where she works with professional advisors in numerous capacities. Kathy is active in CCPG and NACGP where she has held leadership roles. She is currently a member of the Hibel Family Foundation’s Planned Giving Initiative Advisory Council, as well as a mentor in NACGP’s mentorship program and a member of their Legacy Circle Committee.

Liz Livingston Howard is a graduate of Northwestern University and holds an MBA degree from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern. Ms. Howard is a co-founder and the Executive Director of Kellogg's Center for Nonprofit Management and a Clinical Professor of Management. She developed and teaches curriculum for MBA students and nonprofit executives. Ms. Howard serves as the Academic Director for a variety of nonprofit executive education courses and designs custom executive education programs for local, national and global clients.

Previously, she served as Assistant Dean for Development for Kellogg from 1994 to 2003. In that role, she was responsible for the fundraising activities of the Kellogg School including alumni and individual solicitation, corporate and foundation grants. She was involved with the $1.4 billion Campaign Northwestern. During her tenure, total giving to the school increased 100% and the Kellogg School raised over $100 million for significant objectives in Campaign Northwestern.

Prior to joining the Kellogg School, Ms. Howard served as a fundraising consultant with Charles R. Feldstein & Company, based in Chicago. Her additional development work was as Director of Development for the Chicago Tourism Council/Mayor's Office of Tourism for the City of Chicago and as the first Director of Development for Regina Dominican High School, Wilmette, Illinois.

Outside of her professional responsibilities, Ms. Howard has been involved with a number of philanthropic organizations in Chicago. She was selected as a Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow to participate in a unique, year-long venture to deepen the understanding of greater Chicago, thereby enhancing the future quality of civic and community leadership. In addition, she served as the founding chairman of the Chicago Community Trust Young Leaders Fund, an endowment fund established in 1994 by young professionals in Chicago to educate them about grant-making and the value of philanthropy.

Currently, she serves as President of the Women's Board of Northwestern University, Secretary of the 100 Club of Illinois, providing financial assistance to the families of first responders killed in the line of duty and mental wellness services to first responders across the State of Illinois, Vice President of the Irish Fellowship Club of Chicago, and an Advisory Board Member for the Office of Catholic Schools for the Archdiocese of Chicago.