For Carmen Anderson, advancing equity means changing both how a foundation works and how it serves its communities. As Vice President, Equity and Community Partnerships at The Heinz Endowments, she brings that focus to organizational development, strategic partnerships and grantmaking.

She leads efforts to address social injustice and inequity while helping embed diversity, inclusion and equity into the foundation's operations. Her responsibilities include developing guiding principles and creating learning opportunities for staff and grantees, connecting institutional commitments with the people responsible for carrying them forward.

Anderson also monitors emerging practices across the field to strengthen the Endowments' policies, behaviors and operations. Through strategic community partnerships, she advances an equity agenda that informs the foundation's goals, communications and funding decisions.

Her leadership places equity at the center of institutional decision-making. By linking internal learning with community partnerships and grantmaking, Anderson helps shape a foundation whose commitment to addressing injustice extends across its culture, priorities and relationships throughout the communities it serves.