Kate Grant, Chief Executive of the Fistula Foundation, on receiving $15M from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott and treating women with devastating childbirth injuries.
Obstetric fistula is a devastating childbirth injury. It leaves a woman incontinent, humiliated, and—all too often—shunned by her community. Surgery is the only cure.
The Fistula Foundation is the global leader in fistula treatment, providing more surgeries to more women than any other organization, including the U.S. government and United Nations.
Since 2009, they have supported treatment in 33 countries in Africa and Asia.
About Kate Grant
Kate Grant joined the Fistula Foundation as its first chief executive in 2005. She led the expansion of the Foundation from supporting one hospital in one country, Ethiopia, to its current position as the global leader in fistula treatment.
Kate has formed partnerships with key organizations such as Astellas Pharma EMEA, Johnson & Johnson, Direct Relief, Engender Health, and The Life You Can Save (founded by Peter Singer).
During her tenure as CEO, the Foundation has earned 16 consecutive four-star ratings from Charity Navigator, placing it in the top 1% of nonprofit organizations evaluated. It has also consistently earned an “A” rating from Charity Watch, has been named one of the top 50 charities in the United States by Consumer Reports, and has earned more than 700 five-star ratings on GreatNonprofits.
Before joining the Foundation, Kate served on the House Foreign Affairs Committee staff and as special assistant and deputy chief of staff at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). She also consulted to USAID’s mission in Tanzania, the Rockefeller Foundation, the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, and the Women’s Funding Network.
She holds a master in public affairs degree, with a focus on international development, from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, where she was elected chair of the graduate student body.
Previously, she was an advertising executive at two leading agencies—Leo Burnett in Chicago and FCB in San Francisco—and managed campaigns for Fortune 500 companies such as Clorox, Levi Strauss, and McDonald’s.
Kate graduated with honors from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. She also completed the Executive Education Program in Nonprofit Management at Harvard Business School.
She has served on several boards, including the Governing Board of Graduate Alumni of Princeton University. Kate regularly gives presentations about the Foundation’s work, and has lectured at Princeton University and Oxford University.