Richard Russell
Senior Fellow in Social Innovation
Richard Russell’s career in philanthropy spans decades and includes work with respected organizations and philanthropists around the world.
Richard serves as adviser to a dozen of the world’s most generous individuals, families, and their foundations, helping them to achieve their goals effectively and efficiently.
He has planned and participated in hundreds of capital campaigns, has started or refined many dozens of major-gifts and planned-giving programs, and has worked with volunteer and executive not-for-profit leaders on projects ranging from board governance and recruitment to strategic planning to CEO evaluation and coaching.
Richard held leadership positions in philanthropy at The Nature Conservancy, San Francisco Opera, The Phillips Collection, Washington National Opera, Yale University, and ACLU, among others.
He founded Resilient Philanthropy, which provides counsel both to individuals and foundations and to not-for-profit organizations. Clients have included:
- Museum of Modern Art
- Whitney Museum of Art
- Fondation Beyeler
- Sammlung Goetz
- Boston Symphony Orchestra
- Santa Fe Opera
- Opera Philadelphia
- Aix-en-Provence Festival
- Yale University
- Conservation International
- Save the Chimps
- Planned Parenthood Federation of America
- Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens
- Canine Companions for Independence
- American Institute of Architects
- Vermont Youth Conservation Corps
Richard holds degrees from Yale, Oxford, Harvard, and Episcopal Divinity School. After living for years in Cambridge MA, he now divides his time among his hometown, New York, Winter Park FL, South Hero VT, and his sailboat.