Crystal Hayling

As the executive director of The Libra Foundation, Crystal brought to The Libra Foundation a fresh vision of philanthropy that rejects business as usual and is responsive to the needs of frontline communities. Along with a team that reflects the diversity of the grantees Libra serves, she has built strong relationships of trust with POC-led organizations working actively across the spectrum of racial and social justice issues. In 2020, in the face of multiple historic crises impacting frontline communities, she worked with the Libra board to double the grantmaking total, putting the foundation in the vanguard of change. In September 2020, she gathered a group of 12 foundations to found the Democracy Frontlines Fund, a new aligned giving strategy that raised $36 million in unrestricted, multi-year support for an exemplary slate of Black-led organizations.

Reflecting her passion for equitable health care, Crystal earlier served as CEO of the Blue Shield of California Foundation, where she spearheaded work to achieve universal health coverage. She was also part of the founding team at The California Wellness Foundation, where she led a groundbreaking initiative to shift youth violence prevention from a criminal justice issue to a public health effort.

Crystal has served on the boards of the Center for Effective Philanthropy, Northern California Grantmakers, Asian Venture Philanthropy Network, and Grantmakers in Health. Former Governor Jerry Brown appointed Crystal to serve on the California State Board of Food and Agriculture. She currently serves on the boards of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, Justice Funders, and Community Change. In 2021, Crystal was named to Inside Philanthropy’s Power List 100; she frequently writes and publishes on leading edge topics in philanthropy.

Born and raised in Florida, Crystal is a graduate of Yale University and Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. She has lived in China, Mexico, and Singapore. She and her husband live in the Bay Area with their two teenage sons.