Kara Young Ponder, Ph.D., is the new vice president of knowledge, impact, and strategy for the National Council of Nonprofits (NCN) in Washington, D.C. She most recently was director of community engagement and racial justice for the Benioff Homelessness and Housing initiative at the University of California San Francisco.
In that role, she led community partnerships, research on race and discrimination, and the internal learning and professional development program for BHHI staff. She is the primary author of Creating Authentic, Effective Partnerships between Organizations and People with Lived Experiences: A Toolkit.
An educator and social justice practitioner, Young Ponder has taught in college, high school, prison, transitional living facilities, and drug recovery centers. She holds master’s and doctoral degrees in sociology from the University of California, Berkeley, and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Brown University.
“We all know that nonprofits are a tremendous force for the common good,” said Young Ponder via a statement. “I look forward to elevating the impact of NCN’s network of networks and ensuring all nonprofits have the resources and information they need to serve their communities.”
