McClure Foundation Promotes Carolyn Weir to Executive Director
The J. Warren & Lois McClure Foundation has hired Carolyn Weir, CAP®, as executive director. The McClure Foundation, a supporting organization of the Vermont Community Foundation, provides grants that promote equitable access to education and training pathways that lead to Vermont’s promising jobs.
Weir, who previously served the McClure Foundation in an advisory role, is the organization’s first dedicated staff person. She steps into the new role as the organization is about to enter its milestone 25th year and is scaling up to provide over $600,000 in grants annually to mission-aligned organizations and programs across Vermont. In addition to her expanded responsibilities on the McClure Foundation’s leadership team, she continues to work as a senior philanthropic advisor at the Vermont Community Foundation.
At the McClure Foundation, Weir leads the effort to promote philanthropic best practices and alignment that strengthen Vermont’s education and workforce development systems and outcomes. Guided by a vision of a vibrant Vermont economy in which no promising job goes unfulfilled for lack of a qualified applicant, the McClure Foundation collaborates closely with the Vermont State Colleges, VSAC, the Agency of Education, the Department of Labor, and many others to serve students of all ages.
“In the eight years that Carolyn has advised our philanthropy, she’s built an incredible framework that maximizes the impact of our grantmaking dollars,” said Barbara Benedict, president of the McClure Foundation. “The strong relationships she’s developed with our partner organizations have moved us much closer to fulfilling the legacy of our founders to truly make a difference in Vermont.”
Weir joined the Vermont Community Foundation in 2011. After completing a two-year community philanthropy fellowship, she was promoted to philanthropic advisor and then to senior philanthropic advisor. Prior to joining the Community Foundation, she worked for a variety of social service and community development organizations.
Weir holds a Nonprofit Management Certificate from Marlboro College and a Bachelor of Arts degree in international politics and economics from Middlebury College. She lives in Weybridge with her husband and son.