Carla Gibson

Carla Gibson knew she was destined to work in nonprofits after earning degrees from the University of Nebraska – Omaha and Bellevue University. Her career began on the service provision side of nonprofits, but now as the vice president of programs at REACH Healthcare Foundation, she advances high-quality, affordable health care in the Kansas City area. In her position, Carla focuses on grantmaking and philanthropy and capitalizes on relationships with the community and local organizations. “We can’t do our job without building relationships with and giving the money out to our grantee partners,” said Carla. “I always tell people philanthropy is almost 100% about relationships and building them.” Carla and her team piloted Centering Black Voices in 2020, an initiative providing resources, professional development and networking opportunities for Black-led organizations. Centering Black Voices aims to remove barriers, be responsive and increase partnership with the Black community. “There is constant learning. We are going to continue to build a network. We are going to have the community practice,” said Carla. “Investment in the community and increased investment and increased partnership, those are definitely outcomes.” Listen to Carla’s episode to learn more about her professional journey and Centering Black Voices.