Experience
Katie Napolitano, founder, is a passionate advocate for equity and collaborative systems change, with nearly 20 years of experience in collective impact, strategic philanthropy and social investing, nonprofit leadership, and consulting. Katie has dedicated her career to growing impactful organizations and initiatives, building cross-sector partnerships, and securing sustainable funding for bold, community-driven solutions. Her work has included launching large-scale collaborations, co-designing models, advising mission-driven organizations, and advocating alongside youth to drive systems change.
🛠️ Co-Founder of Fair Futures -
NYC’s Largest Collective Impact Initiative
Katie was a backbone leader of one of the most impactful youth-centered collective impact initiatives in the nation. Fair Futures is a coalition of 100+ organizations that became the largest cross-sector collaboration and most successful youth-led advocacy movement in child welfare history. The advocacy campaign secured $40M in annual public funding, making NYC the first in the nation to support young people in foster care through age 26. In close collaboration with community, Katie co-designed and codified the Fair Futures model, which has been implemented and scaled across NYC’s foster care and juvenile justice systems.
Fair Futures is now an evidence-based model that reaches 4,300+ young people—from 6th grade through age 26—with 1:1 coaching, academic, career, housing, and life skills support. The model is making a systemic impact - it has improved youth outcomes across the board and transformed a once-siloed sector into a connected and supportive community often referred to as the “Fair Futures Family.”
Through this work, Katie:
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Helped launch a successful public-private partnership that leveraged $5M in philanthropic support over five years into $100M+ in sustainable public funding;
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Supported a citywide advocacy campaign with over 100 organizations and youth leaders;
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Lead a collaboration to develop the implementation infrastructure, tools, data platform, and online directory;
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Provided ongoing training and technical assistance to support 500+ staff in implementing the model;
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Co-founded the Center for Fair Futures, a 501c3 that she helped build from 3 consultants to 21+ full-time staff.
Strategic Philanthropy & Social Investing
Katie brings deep experience in funding, scaling, and supporting mission-driven initiatives. At Tiger Foundation, she facilitated investments in high-impact organizations across NYC’s education, workforce, child welfare, youth development, and criminal justice sectors. As a founding member and VP at Treetops Capital, she helped build the firm into a top 50 global impact investor, supporting social ventures in under-resourced communities worldwide.
Trusted Advisor
to Mission-Driven Organizations
As a consultant, Katie has advised nonprofits and philanthropic partners across the U.S. and internationally, supporting them with strategic planning, program design, securing funding, and scaling with intention. She brings the same care to every engagement, whether helping launch a cross-sector initiative or supporting an organization to deepen impact.
Personal
Commitment
Katie’s connection to this work is deeply personal. Her experience as a coach, mentor, and adoptive parent to young people who have experienced NYC’s foster care and juvenile justice systems fuels her unwavering commitment to creating systems where all young people have the chance to thrive.