Bob Bancroft Joins the Nathan Cummings Foundation as Vice President, Finance
NEW YORK — The Nathan Cummings Foundation announced today that Bob Bancroft will join the Foundation as Vice President of Finance. Bancroft comes to the Nathan Cummings Foundation from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, where he worked for the past decade, most recently serving as director of finance & tax. Bancroft brings 17 years of nonprofit and entrepreneurial experience in finance, investments and technology to the Foundation. He will lead efforts to enhance the Foundation’s operations, governance and impact to better support its partners and achieve its mission
“With this appointment, we now have the entire leadership team in place that will guide our efforts to use our investments strategically and build a more socially and economically just society,” said Sharon Alpert, president and CEO of the Foundation. “Bob has the right vision and approach to managing financial operations to achieve our mission, program and investment goals. He is enthusiastic about our ongoing exploration of impact investing and our desire to use our resources to create the change we want to see in the world.”
Bancroft has a strong track record in philanthropy, with an emphasis on being a partner and a resource to the program team, enhancing overall alignment.
While at the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation — a private, independent foundation dedicated to advancing the education of high-achieving students from all backgrounds who have financial need — Bancroft took a leading role in transforming the way the Foundation’s $700 million endowment was managed. Bancroft was responsible for all aspects of accounting operations at various times, as he moved up through the organization. This included managing relationships with the Foundation’s external chief investment officer and custodian, and laying the groundwork for the Foundation’s first program-related investments.
Bancroft values NCF’s strategic focus and the priority it places on internal and external collaboration.
“In addition to its mission, the culture of NCF truly speaks to me. This is an organization with an entrepreneurial mindset – it is not afraid to take a high level of risk and seeks to maximize every available resource, in order to meet some of the biggest challenges of our time,” Bancroft said. “I am deeply honored to serve as the next vice president of finance. My goal is to provide best-in-class financial insight and support to our grantees, staff and board so we can enhance our mission impact and promote greater alignment with strategy.”
Prior to his tenure at the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, Bancroft — who is a certified public accountant — owned and operated a successful small business in Boston, Mass., and also served as controller for a wholesale distributor. Bancroft graduated from Boston University summa cum laude, with a B.S. in management.
Located in New York City, the Nathan Cummings Foundation is a national philanthropic organization that has made $485 million in grants over the past 27 years. The Foundation recently announced a decision to increase its giving in 2017 and 2018 to support its focus on finding solutions for inequality and climate change.
The Nathan Cummings Foundation partnered with OnRamps, a full-service search and consulting firm that exclusively serves the social sector, to conduct a national search for a Vice President of Finance.
For additional information about this announcement, please contact: Artealia Gilliard, Director of Communications, at artealia.gilliard@nathancummings.org or 212-787-7300.
The Nathan Cummings Foundation is rooted in the Jewish tradition and committed to democratic values and social justice, including fairness, diversity and community. It focuses on finding solutions to the two biggest problems of our time – the climate crisis and growing inequality. The Foundation invests in four focus areas to build a more just, vibrant, sustainable and democratic society: Inclusive Clean Economy; Racial and Economic Justice; Corporate and Political Accountability; and Voice, Creativity and Culture. For more information, visit www.nathancummings.org