Epilepsy Foundation Welcomes New Chief Development Officer

Katherine Griswold Brings More than 15 Years of Nonprofit Development Experience

BOWIE, Md., June 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Epilepsy Foundation today announced the appointment of Katherine Griswold as the new chief development officer. In this role, Griswold will lead all aspects of the Foundation's development efforts, including building new partnerships and cultivating relationships with existing philanthropists. Her nonprofit development expertise over the past 15 years will help scale the Epilepsy Foundation's impact and its network of support so that no one faces epilepsy alone.

"I'm thrilled to welcome Katherine to our leadership team. She is a seasoned fundraising executive with a proven track record of revenue growth, strategic planning and staff development," said Bernice Martin Lee, chief executive officer, Epilepsy Foundation. "Katherine's focus on public education, research, programming and advocacy, perfectly aligns with our mission, and helps us make a lasting impact on the health and well-being of our epilepsy community."

Griswold most recently served as vice president of Philanthropy and Community Engagement at Community HousingWorks (CHW). Prior to CHW, Griswold served as vice president of Individual Giving at the Parkinson's Foundation where she built the major giving program, launched the organization's first donor affinity group and was instrumental in increasing fundraising revenue by more than 60%. Before that, she was associate regional director at JDRF International (now Breakthrough T1D™), where she focused on expanding volunteer involvement and increasing revenue through events, corporate development, grants and major gifts. 

"I am honored to have the opportunity to join the Epilepsy Foundation and work alongside a dedicated and talented team of professionals to deepen support for our mission," said Griswold. "I look forward to helping grow the Foundation's community of philanthropy and raise much-needed funding to continue to provide education, advocacy, research and connections to people with epilepsy and their families."

Griswold has a bachelor's degree in English from Transylvania University (Lexington, Ky.) and a master's degree in communications from the University of Texas. She also received a graduate certificate in Women in Politics and Public Policy from the University of Massachusetts.

About Epilepsy
According to the World Health Organization, epilepsy is the most common serious brain disorder worldwide with no age, racial, social class, national or geographic boundaries. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) estimates that 3.4 million people in the United States are affected by epilepsy. Epilepsy is the underlying tendency of the brain to produce seizures which are sudden abnormal bursts of electrical energy that disrupt brain functions.

About the Epilepsy Foundation
With a network of partners throughout the United States, the Epilepsy Foundation is focused on improving the lives of people with epilepsy by educates the public about epilepsy and seizure first aid; leading advocacy efforts; funding innovative research; and connecting people to treatment, support and resources so that no one faces epilepsy alone. For decades, the Epilepsy Foundation has continued to drive innovation and improve access to care to transform the lives of people across the epilepsy spectrum. Today, the Epilepsy Foundation is also focused on addressing social determinants of health in epilepsy through its partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to address barriers to quality care, increase awareness and reduce the stigma of living with epilepsy. To learn more visit epilepsy.com or call 1.800.332.1000. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn. 

SOURCE Epilepsy Foundation