The Oregon Community Foundation
Kirsten Kilchenstein has a comprehensive work experience. Kirsten began their career as a Special Events/Volunteer Coordinator at Self Enhancement, Inc. in 1998, where they worked until 2001. Following that, they joined Caldera Arts as their Education Director from 2001 to 2011. In 2011, Kirsten joined The Oregon Community Foundation as a Senior Donor Relations Officer. Kirsten transitioned to the role of Vice President of Donor Relations in 2017, leading the Donor Relations department and supporting families in their philanthropic journeys. Recently, Kirsten became the Chief Philanthropy Officer in January 2020, overseeing the philanthropic efforts of the foundation.
Kirsten Kilchenstein holds a Master of Science degree in Conflict Resolution from Portland State University, which they obtained in 2003. Prior to that, they completed their Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology at Georgia State University in 1995. In addition, Kirsten has obtained certifications in Multi-Generational Family Philanthropy from 21/64 in 2014, as well as in Mediation and Facilitation from Portland State University in 2003.
The Oregon Community Foundation
The mission of Oregon Community Foundation is to improve lives for all Oregonians through the power of philanthropy. OCF works with individuals, families, businesses and organizations to create charitable funds to support the community causes they care about. Through these funds, in 2020 OCF awarded more than $230 million in grants and scholarships. Thousands of citizens have created a permanent endowment for Oregon through OCF – an endowment that will help Oregonians today and for generations to come. Who We Are: OCF's endowment come from thousands of Oregonians who have invested with us to help our state. OCF manages more than 3,000 individual funds of various sizes. From these funds, grants are distributed to support the critical work that nonprofit organizations are doing around Oregon. OCF is governed by a volunteer board of directors. They provide leadership to the Foundation and have the responsibility to ensure that the endowment is managed in an efficient, thoughtful way. We rely on more than 1,600 local volunteers who give us deep-rooted knowledge of community needs. Our professional staff helps donors realize their charitable goals and nonprofit organizations become stronger. What We Do: The Oregon Community Foundation is committed to improving life and uniting Oregonians through philanthropy. Thanks to thousands of donors and hundreds of individual funds, OCF is the leader in Oregon philanthropy, strengthening communities across the state.