This series of webinars was first presented at the Causal Pathways Symposium 2023, which focused on "connecting, learning, and building a shared understanding of the evaluation and participatory practices that make causal pathways more visible"
Kimberlin Butler
Dr. Kimberlin Butler is an equity-focused cross-sector catalyst for social impact with over 20 years of experience in public education, public affairs, and philanthropy. A connector, convener, and collaborator, she catalyzes possibilities and facilitates collaboration across diverse networks to achieve their vision. Dr. Butler is the Founder and Chief Possibility Catalyst of The L.E.A.D. Agency LLC, an organization created to catalyze investments for communities and youth to L.E.A.D. – Learn, Excel, Achieve, and discover their Destiny. As successfully defended in her dissertation earning distinction, Dr. Butler created the concept of youth-possible philanthropy™ as an equity-centered foundation practice that regularly engages young people as a central strategy in youth and education-programmatic investments. Her agency serves as a bridge, building a field that centers youth and community voice in philanthropic strategy, research and practice to ensure that investments are equitable, evidence-informed and targeted for their most promising futures. Dr. Butler thrives on facilitating social impact across the philanthropic sector empowering communities and young people to actualize their highest possibilities.
As Mathematica’s first Senior Director of Foundation Engagement, she pioneered development of the evidence-informed grantmaking and strategy framework – an approach that facilitates strategic learning to deeply understand community context through foundation investments. Dr. Butler advances collaboration across the philanthropic ecosystem and centers the voices of those most proximate to social challenges as experts in shaping solutions. She founded Mathematica’s Equity Community of Practice and catalyzed strategic companywide efforts to center equity in philanthropic practice.
Dr. Butler managed a $15 million Accelerator Fund as Director of Strategic Partnerships at Strive Together, ensuring the success of 8.2 million students. A former advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Education, she launched the Place-Based Initiative Pilot Team as part of the White House Community Solutions agenda, improving outcomes across urban, rural, and tribal communities. Dr. Butler held leadership positions at the Zeist Foundation and Grantmakers for Education where she managed three national funder networks and partnered with 600 foundations to improve student outcomes. She was instrumental in shaping the Grantmakers Institute, a Harvard Graduate School of Education program focused on investing in educational equity and economic mobility outcomes.
An avid volunteer sitting on numerous boards, she received Women We Admire’s Top 50 Leaders of DC for 2023 Award. A native of Baton Rouge, Dr. Butler attained a Bachelor of Arts degree in mass communication (LSU) and a Master of Public Administration degree (Maxwell School of Syracuse University). She earned a doctorate in educational and organizational leadership at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Butler is a former Atlanta Public Schools teacher and Teach For America alumna.