The Marion I. & Henry J. Knott Foundation announced today that its current executive director will leave the Foundation at the end of 2022. According to Lindsay Gallagher, president of the board, “After a distinguished and highly effective decade plus of leading the Knott Foundation, our executive director Kelly Medinger has decided to step down at the end of 2022.She has also generously offered to work part time in early 2023 to help facilitate our transition to a new leader.”
The Knott Foundation is a Catholic family foundation committed to honoring its founders’ legacy of generosity to strengthen the Maryland community. Its founders, Henry and Marion Knott, were incredibly dedicated to their faith, their family, and their desire to serve those in need. In 1977, they started the Foundation as a vehicle to strengthen communities within the Archdiocese of Baltimore, which includes Baltimore City and nine surrounding counties in central and western Maryland.
“It has been an honor to work closely with the Knott family members who lead the Foundation and are known for their generosity in preserving and fulfilling the legacy of its founders,” Medinger said. “As I move into the next phase of my career I hope to continue adding value to foundations, other philanthropic organizations, and the nonprofit community in the coming years as an advisor, author, and consultant.”
Mr. and Mrs. Knott wanted their resources poured back into the very communities where their wealth was accumulated. Mr. Knott began his career as a bricklayer, and then became a real estate developer. Always forward thinking, they hoped that the charitable work they established would forever bring their large family together with a common purpose for generations to come. Since its inception, the Foundation has awarded more than $70 million in grants to the community.
Today, the Knott Foundation continues as a family-run philanthropic venture that strives to strengthen communities in central and western Maryland while preserving Catholic values and the Knott legacy of giving. During Medinger’s tenure the Foundation has made substantial progress in amplifying the donor intent of its founders and their vision to involve multiple generations of Knott family members in its mission and work.
More than 30 Knott family members spanning three generations currently serve on the board and help guide the Foundation’s charitable giving. New family trustees undergo a one-year formal training program before joining the board, and all trustees work with the staff to cultivate regular exposure to and knowledge of the community’s needs to help inform grantmaking decisions.
“Robust family engagement in the philanthropic mission of the Foundation and outreach to the next generation of community leaders is seen as an opportunity to ensure the continuity of our vision, values, and purpose,” Gallagher said.“Notably, nearly 25% of our board members are currently under age forty.”
The Knott Foundation is a national leader in multi-generational family philanthropy, governance practices, and cost-effective administration. It is held in high regard by grantees, the nonprofit sector, the Archdiocese of Baltimore, and corporate, government, and community leaders. The Foundation is also viewed as a leading foundation by peers and frequently serves as a lead investor in various initiatives. It maintains an annual grantmaking budget of approximately $2.5 million and is most often recognized for support of Catholic education, youth empowerment and other education programs, health care, human services, and the Catholic Church.
According to Gallagher the Foundation has established a search committee to guide the president and board through the process of selecting a new executive director. It has also opted to begin the search privately while investigating the potential to retain a search firm if needed.
“We are well known in the Maryland philanthropic community and expect that this opening will attract a number of high-quality candidates,” Gallagher said. “Candidates who are interested in continuing the Foundation’s legacy and leadership should visit www.knottfoundation.org for the position announcement. We hope to have a new leader in place in early 2023.”
