Tara Harper Named Cara Collective’s Chief Philanthropy Officer
Chicago – Cara Collective, an industry-leading workforce development agency headquartered in Chicago, announced the appointment of Tara Harper as Chief Philanthropy Officer, effective August 15.
In her nearly two decades of work, Harper has proven herself as a passionate and strategic non-profit leader, with a focus on advancing racial equity and social justice for communities that have been systemically disinvested in and under resourced. She joins Cara Collective from the Carole Robertson Center for Learning, where as Chief Development Officer she was responsible for both public and private revenue at the $37M Chicago-based early childhood and youth development organization. Prior to that, she served as Senior Director of Institutional Relations, Equity & Inclusion, at Children’s Home & Aid — a leading social service agency providing support for nearly 30,000 children and families throughout Illinois.
“Tara is coming to Cara Collective at a unique juncture for our organization, as we prepare to rollout a new strategic plan for our enterprise,” said Kathleen St. Louis Caliento, President & CEO. “Her combination of being an EDI and development professional deepens her understanding for the challenges many of our communities experience and has provided her with the tools and knowledge necessary to creatively evolve fundraising practices. I am thrilled to have her leading our philanthropic charge as we look to our future.”
Harper earned her BA in Political Science from the University of Illinois, Urbana–Champaign and has completed the Diversity and Inclusion Certification Program through Cornell University. She is a member of the Board of Trustees for Opportunity Knocks, an organization that supports people with intellectual and developmental disabilities as they live, work, learn, grow, and connect within their community.
About Cara Collective
Cara Collective seeks to fuel a courageous national movement to eradicate relational and financial poverty. Through our four entities – Cara, Cleanslate, Cara Connects, and Cara Plus – we engage job seekers, employers, and other organizations across the country to break the cycle of poverty through the power and purpose of employment. Since 1991, we’ve helped more than 8,000 people get placed into more than 13,000 jobs and get started on their path to real and lasting success. Click here to learn more.
Contact: Mark Toriski
Director of Marketing & Communications
312.798.6723
mtoriski@carachicago.org
