Barrington Woman Joins RI Foundation

Kate Kishfy of Barrington has been appointed Development and Planned Giving Officer at the Rhode Island Foundation. She will be responsible for inspiring philanthropy with new prospects and current donors, and their professional advisors, by providing charitable planning advice and high-level relationship management and customer service.

“Given her experience as a trusted advisor on estate and tax planning, Kate is a natural to elevate the Foundation’s professional advisor outreach and planned giving services to new heights to benefit our generous donors,” said Jim Sanzi, the Foundation’s vice president of development. “Above all, she understands the power and inspiration of philanthropy and how charitable giving can often present smart planning solutions as well as a positive impact in our community.”

Most recently, Kishfy was an associate attorney at Hinckley Allen, where she worked on private client trust and estate matters, including advising them on tax-advantaged charitable giving strategies.

Previously, she was a National Teaching Fellow with Citizen Schools, a program evaluation and operations coordinator at Crossroads Rhode Island and a law clerk for the Honorable Chief Justice Paul A. Suttell of the Supreme Court of Rhode Island.

Kishfy is on the Board of Directors of the Partnership for Philanthropic Planning of Rhode Island. She earned a BA in Public Policy and American Institutions at Brown University, a Master of Education at Lesley University and a JD at the Roger Williams School of Law.

Kishfy joins the Foundation as it comes off one of its most successful fundraising years, reporting $33.7 million in new gifts from generous individual, organizational and corporate donors in 2014.

The Rhode Island Foundation is the largest and most comprehensive funder of nonprofit organizations in Rhode Island. In 2014, the Foundation awarded $34.8 million in grants to organizations addressing the state’s most pressing issues and needs of diverse communities. Through leadership, fundraising and grantmaking activities, often in partnership with individuals and organizations, the Foundation is helping Rhode Island reach its true potential. For more information, visit www.rifoundation.org.