THE DAKOTA FOUNDATION PROMOTES KELSEY NOLAN TO PRESIDENT & CEO

The board of The Dakota Foundation is delighted to announce that Kelsey Nolan, who has served as Executive Director of the organization for the past three years, has been elected President and CEO of the organization, effective May 1, 2022.  

Chairman A. Bart Holaday said:

“Kelsey has been an integral part of launching some of our best investments in the community, including the Dakota Promise Scholarship program in partnership with Pikes Peak State College and Harrison School District 2, the Uptogether Fund which gave cash grants to families in need during COVID, and most recently Recidiviz, a partnership helping our state’s criminal justice system adopt sophisticated tech to make data-driven decisions that will improve outcomes for Coloradans. We are excited to see how our community will further benefit as she assumes this role.”

Kelsey said:

“My passion and focus are to guide catalytic capital to innovative solutions championed by entrepreneurial leaders driving change within their communities. I look forward to continuing to bring collaborative co-funding opportunities to launch unique approaches to challenges we face in the respective communities where we work.”

Kelsey has served on the board of the Dakota Foundation since 2013. She has a background in corporate event management and in launching venture-backed start-ups, including social enterprise and B-corp companies. She is a Leadership Network Member of the American Enterprise Institute, and also serves on the Board of Directors for the Legacy Institute, working to advance education and community development in Colorado Springs (her hometown), although she lives in Denver.

Kelsey graduated Cum Laude with a B.A. in Economics and Art History from Scripps College in 2009, and holds a Philanthropy Professional Certificate from Stanford’s Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society.

The Dakota Foundation is beginning its 25th year this year.  Its mission is to change lives by assisting people to achieve greater self-sufficiency for themselves and their families, providing them with tools to help them help themselves. In fulfilling this mission, the Foundation seeks to bring business discipline to the nonprofit sector, to be creative and entrepreneurial in all its activities, and to follow an investment approach in all its decisions, seeking always to achieve the highest social return for each grant, program-related investment or social impact bond undertaken.