Lori O’Keefe

Lori O’Keefe has served as president and CEO of Triangle Community Foundation since 2012, stewarding the Foundation’s strategic priorities which encompass philanthropic investment, nonprofit support, community leadership, and organizational excellence. Under her leadership, the Foundation has grown from $144M in assets with grants of $13M to over $370M with grants averaging over 10% of assets annually. 

A lifelong singer who is passionate about the arts, Lori has devoted her career to the nonprofit sector. Before joining the Foundation in 2005 as a member of the Donor Engagement team, Lori worked as a fundraiser and arts administrator at performing arts institutions in California and New York City.  At the Foundation, she is regularly sought after to share her thoughts on the subject of philanthropy and the nonprofit sector. Lori is a board member and co-chairs the Review Committee for the Council on Foundations’ National Standards, the accreditation program for community foundations.  She has served as Board Chair of the North Carolina Network of Grantmakers, and more recently as Chair of The 50 Group. She is active on other boards and committees in the Triangle including the NC Symphony, YMCA of the Triangle, Carolina Small Business Development Fund, Raleigh Chamber Foundation Advisory Committee, and the RTP Charitable Fund. She is a Goodmon Fellow through Leadership Triangle and has been a regular contributor to Triangle Business Journal’s A Better World column. 

Lori is a native of Ohio and received her B.A. in music and M.B.A. with a specialization in arts administration from the State University of New York system. She and her husband live in Wake Forest and have two daughters: a proud alumna from Appalachian State University and a rising education major at NC State University.  Lori and her family have called the Triangle home for over twenty years and enjoy visiting all the wonderful cultural and recreational activities in our region.