Katie Brisson serves as Senior Director of Special Initiatives, contributing strategic insight and leadership to the foundation’s grantmaking initiatives while advancing special projects that strengthen impact across portfolios.

Katie brings more than two decades of experience in philanthropy, having spent 24 years at the Community Foundation for Southeastern Michigan, including 11 years as Vice President of Program. During her tenure, she led efforts to shape grantmaking strategy during a period of significant growth and played a key role in launching collaborative initiatives such as the Detroit Journalism Engagement Fund, the Michigan Opioid Partnership, and Project Play: Southeast Michigan. 

Before her time at the Community Foundation, Katie worked as a consultant for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and served as chief lobbyist for the Maryland Food Committee in Baltimore, advocating for policies to address hunger and poverty at both state and national levels. 

She holds a Master’s in Policy Studies from The Johns Hopkins University, a Master’s in Legal & Ethical Studies from the University of Baltimore, and a Bachelor’s in Sociology from Western Michigan University.