The National Center for Family Philanthropy (NCFP) today announced that Susan Packard Orr, Chair of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, is its first Distinguished Fellow in Family Philanthropy. The announcement was made at the first National Forum on Family Philanthropy, taking place through May 9 in Cambridge, Mass. Participants include many of the country’s leading philanthropic families and industry thought leaders who have gathered to share fresh perspectives, new research and candid discussions about trends in family philanthropy, under the theme “Inspiration, Revelation, Transformation.”
“Susan Packard Orr embodies all of the values of the Distinguished Fellow: she is a family philanthropy icon, a leader whose experience and reputation distinguish her as an authority on the traditions and practice of family philanthropy, whose career is worthy of emulation – a touchstone for vision and best practice, and whose reputation contains commitment both to innovation and to the preservation of family philanthropy as a fundamental component of American democracy,” said NCFP President Virginia Esposito.
NCFP created the Fellowship program to nurture and showcase leadership talent for the field of family philanthropy. The Fellows program will engage three tiers, representing seasoned leaders, emerging leaders and an honorary Distinguished Fellow. This is the first time the Distinguished Fellow is being awarded. In this role, Orr will work with NCFP over the next two years to inform and shape resources for the field and frame discussion of critical issues. In addition, she will have the opportunity to identify and advance issues of personal concern within the context of the Center’s research and educational agenda.
Orr is the daughter of David Packard and Lucile Salter Packard who founded The David and Lucile Packard Foundation in 1964. She is the founder and chair of Telosa Software, a company launched in 1986 still providing software solutions and support to nonprofit organizations across the country and around the world.
