Emmett D. Carson
Emmett D. Carson, Ph.D., is President and CEO of Silicon Valley Community Foundation (SVCF), a leading voice and catalyst for innovative solutions to the region’s most challenging problems.
Prior to his appointment at SVCF in August 2006, Dr. Carson served for 12 years as president and CEO of The Minneapolis Foundation, where he pioneered several community initiatives and increased assets from $186 million to over $600 million. Previously, he served as the first manager of the Ford Foundation's worldwide grantmaking program on philanthropy and the nonprofit sector. He also has worked for the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies and the Congressional Research Service.
Dr. Carson is internationally recognized as a catalyst for progressive social change. A renowned speaker, he has published over 75 works on philanthropy and social justice. He also serves on several nonprofit boards, including the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, Southern Education Foundation, and the University of Minnesota's Humphrey Institute of Public Policy. He briefly served on the board of The Synergos Institute in 2006. Dr. Carson is the recipient of several nonprofit leadership awards and has been recognized several times by The Nonprofit Times as one of the 50 most influential nonprofit leaders in the United States.
Dr. Carson received his Ph.D. and a master in public administration in public and international affairs from Princeton University and a bachelor's degree in economic from Morehouse College.
SVCF was created in July 2006 through the landmark merger of Peninsula Community Foundation and Community Foundation Silicon Valley, and launched in January 2007. Serving all of San Mateo and Santa Clara counties in California, Silicon Valley Community Foundation is a partner and resource to organizations improving the quality of life in those regions, and to those who want to give back locally, nationally and internationally. Thousands of individuals, families, corporations, nonprofit and government organizations, and community leaders work with SVCF to address critical needs and make an impact through effective programs and inspired philanthropy.
