Cara Clifford

Cara Clifford is an accomplished professional in foundation relations and education, currently serving as Assistant Director, Foundation Relations at Start Early since October 2014, after progressing through various roles focused on managing corporate sponsorships, fundraising events, and proposal cycles for national foundations. Previous experience includes serving as Development Associate at The University of Chicago, developing instructional materials as an Elementary Curriculum Consultant at McGraw-Hill Education, and teaching at Northwestern University and other educational institutions, where unique lesson plans were created for gifted and diverse students. Cara also co-founded Ag47, launching an arts-based mentorship program, and gained grant writing and event planning experience through roles at About Face Theatre and Northwestern University, while holding degrees in Classical Studies and Urban Teacher Education from the University of Chicago.