Karen Jenkins

Karen-Jenkins

Karen Jenkins is the Founder and Managing Director of Development4Good, LLC a consulting firm specializing in strategic planning, finances & operations, fundraising, board development and organizational alignment for non-profit organizations in the United States and abroad. Ms. Jenkins is also a Senior Associate with S. Sutton & Associates, a,Canadian consulting firm and a partner with Social Venture Partners-CT (SVP) an international organization of philanthropists. Ms. Jenkins received her M.A. in International Relations from Yale University and a J.D. from Rutgers University School of Law. Her undergraduate work was at Fisk University. Clients of Development4Good have included The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, US State Department, Salesian Society of Don Bosco, Roots of Development, Ford Foundation, SwissContact, The Carter Center, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), and Oxford Study Abroad Programme (OSAP) at Oxford University.

Her previous leadership positions include:

  • President, BCA Study Abroad, a non-profit consortium of higher education institutions that operates international education programs in 17 countries with a peace and justice focus. During her tenure as president, new programs were opened in Cuba, Ireland, New Zealand and India.
  • Executive Director, African Studies Association, the premier organization in higher education in the US and abroad focused on the study and dissemination of research and information about the continent of Africa.
  • Vice President for Institutional Advancement, Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) where, as the first person to hold the new position, she oversaw the launch of successful fundraising strategies to foundations, corporations, and governments.

She has had extensive experience in international education (St. Olaf College, Dickinson College and The College of New Jersey) where she was recognized nationally for her leadership. For nearly a decade, Ms. Jenkins worked in Zambia on programs and projects intended to build local institutional capacity and improve the quality of life for those who are poor, marginalized, persecuted, or forced to flee as refugees. In Zambia, she served as the Resident Representative for Africare, a US NGO and then as Executive Director of New Development Applications (NDA), a consulting firm she founded that served public and private clients throughout southern Africa. NDA administered community development funds for Barclays Bank in Zambia, Botswana and South Africa. For the Government of Canada, NDA managed the High Commissioner’s Fund in Zambia, Mozambique, Namibia, Botswana, Malawi, and South Africa. Other clients of NDA with projects on the continent of Africa included the Pew Charitable Trusts, the Frankfurt Zoological Society, and the African National Congress (ANC). While in Zambia, she also taught at the University of Zambia. On her return to the US, Ms. Jenkins taught at the School for International Training in Vermont. Before moving to Zambia, Ms. Jenkins was a program officer for Africa with Technoserve and traveled and worked in Ghana, Kenya, Cameroon, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Ms. Jenkins served as the founding editor-in-chief of the Journal of Studies in International Education and wrote regular columns on International Education for Diverse Issues in Higher Education. She has published on International Education, International Development and issues related to biking and walking. Additionally, she has made numerous presentations before large and small audiences and has extensive experience in public relations and managing large complex events in the U.S. and abroad.

Ms. Jenkins is an appointed member of the New Haven Historic District Commission. She is a founder and former Board chair of the New Haven Coalition for Active Transportation (NCAT) and she served as chair of the Mayor’s Taskforce on Bike Education in New Haven. Previous board service includes chair of the Board of Directors of the League of American Bicyclists. Upon completion of her term, she was voted “Director Emerita” in recognition of her service. Other board membership includes chair of the New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition (NJBWC). Ms. Jenkins was on the organizing committee for the New Brunswick (NJ) Ciclovia where she chaired the fundraising committee. She is a certified League Cycling Instructor (LCI).

LinkedIn: Karen Jenkins