FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Foundation Source, the nation’s largest provider of management solutions for private foundations, today announces that Gillian Howell joins the firm as Head of Client Advisory Solutions and a member of the company’s executive team. Ms. Howell assumes the role at a time in which Foundation Source is expanding its offerings for private foundations and the broader philanthropic community.
Ms. Howell brings more than 30 years of executive and philanthropic management experience to Foundation Source where she will be responsible for overseeing and enhancing the Client Services and Philanthropy Advisory Services functions. In this newly created role she will lead teams of seasoned client management and philanthropic advisory specialists as they help individual, family and corporate foundations achieve their charitable objectives with greater efficiency and effectiveness.
“With high-net-worth giving on the rise, we are committed to helping experienced and aspiring philanthropists magnify their impact with the most modern tools and insightful guidance,” said Sunil Garga, president and chief executive officer of Foundation Source. “Gillian’s extensive philanthropic credentials are the perfect complement to our deep domain expertise in private foundations and will enable us to elevate our capabilities as we seek to reinforce our role as a trusted partner to private philanthropists.”
Previously, Ms. Howell served in multiple philanthropic leadership roles for Bank of America, most recently as Managing Director and Philanthropic Market Executive for New England. Her earlier roles include heading up the Bank of America Charitable Gift Fund and the National Private Philanthropy Executive, a role in which she was a top-producing leader of the private philanthropic sales and relationship management team at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. During her 31-year tenure at Bank of America and its predecessor organizations, she collaborated with high-net-worth donors, private foundations, donor-advised funds and nonprofits on strategic planning, donor development, mission advancement, next generation engagement and board governance, as well as philanthropic investments and fiduciary and risk management.
“Foundation Source is a clear leader in philanthropy and foundation management, and I’m honored to join the firm and play a role in delivering the services and solutions that are so valuable to this sector,” said Howell. “Throughout my career, I’ve been passionate about improving the charitable experience for donors, nonprofits and society at large. I look forward to leveraging my philanthropic management expertise to build a world-class client and philanthropic advisory practice at Foundation Source.”
Ms. Howell is a native of Ireland and a long-time resident of Hartford, Conn., where she is active in its local nonprofit community. She is president of the Trustees of the Colt Bequest, a National Advisor for Vision 2020 founded by the Institute for Women’s Health and Leadership at Drexel University, a trustee for the Paul J. Aicher Foundation and Everyday Democracy, and an active volunteer at the Food Crisis Center in Hartford.
About Foundation Source
Foundation Source is the nation’s largest provider of management solutions for private foundations. We empower people and companies to create a better world with their philanthropy through a configurable suite of administrative, compliance, and advisory services complemented by purpose-built foundation management technology and private foundation experts.
We work in concert with financial advisors, legal and accounting professionals, consultants and family offices, as well as directly with individuals, families and corporations to bring philanthropic visions to life. As we celebrate our 20th year of service, Foundation Source supports nearly 2,000 family, corporate and professionally staffed foundations of all sizes and has enabled more than $7 billion in charitable grants.