Caroline Altman Smith, M.A.

Title: Instructor

Program: The Grantmaking School

Bio

Caroline Altman Smith, The Kresge Foundation's program officer for Education since 2008, makes grants to higher education institutions and national nonprofit organizations that are working to improve access and success for underserved students in undergraduate education. In her role, she proactively seeks out innovative ideas and programs that are succeeding in increasing postsecondary degree completion, and works with grantseekers throughout the proposal process. Caroline also helps manage the Education team's existing grant portfolio, and works to connect her grantees to research, best practices, and other resources in the field. In addition, she oversees most of Kresge's grants to the Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count initiative and chairs a grantmaking committee dedicated to nonprofit infrastructure.

Before joining Kresge in 2008, Caroline served for five years as a program officer at Lumina Foundation for Education in Indianapolis, where she worked to create college opportunities for low-income, minority, and first generation students and to help them complete their postsecondary degrees successfully.

A graduate of the University of Virginia, Caroline holds a master's degree in philanthropic studies and a certificate in nonprofit management from the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University. She currently serves on the Grantmakers for Education Program Committee and the Independent Sector Public Policy Committee. Previously, she served on the Council on Foundations' NextGen Advisory Group and chaired the Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy National Board of Advisors.