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NY Community Trust Leader Lorie Slutsky To Retire

Lorie A. Slutsky, one of the nation’s most influential nonprofit leaders and head of the New York Community Trust announced she will retire next year.

Slutsky, 68, is only the third president of The Trust in its 97-year history. Under her leadership, the foundation awarded more than $5 billion in grants to nonprofit organizations while its assets quadrupled to $3.2 billion, according to The Trust’s financial statements. During her tenure, The Trust has been at the forefront of important charitable activities in the city, region, and nation.

“We would love to keep Lorie at the helm for another 30 years,” said Valerie S. Peltier, The Trust’s chair. “She has led us through a period of tremendous growth in our ability to support the important work of the city’s nonprofit organizations. Now, we will be focusing on completing a successful leadership transition that will ensure The Trust is ready for an exciting new chapter.”

Slutsky joined The Trust in 1977 as an intern, became a program officer the next year, and was promoted to executive vice president in 1987. She was appointed president in 1990, and has led The Trust in its work to enact systemic change in every aspect of city life, from education to the environment. Slutsky has also organized responses to several regional crises, including the AIDS epidemic, September 11th, superstorm Sandy, and the coronavirus pandemic.

“When you love a job — and live and breathe it as I have for all these years — it is difficult to choose a time to retire, but now is the right time for me and The Trust,” Slutsky said. “We have an extraordinary staff and a great board with the right people to ensure that The Trust will continue to improve the city and the lives of the people who live here, Slutsky said via a statement.

“It has been personally rewarding for me to work with so many wonderful staff members, donors, grantees, and philanthropic partners,” Slutsky said. “From day one, this has been a group effort. I’ve been honored to be a part of helping the city that I love.”

Slutsky has been included seven times in the annual The NonProfit Times Power & Influence Top 50 — 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2020. During her most recent selection, editors of The NonProfit Times wrote: “It’s nice to have a huge endowment but Slutsky has never forgotten what each dollar can do for a human being and how to leverage cash and influence. Kudos for investing in the vital New York State Census Equity Fund. She is a “lifer,” spending her entire career at the trust and infiltrating every borough of the city and supporting the sector which is at least 10 percent of the city’s economy.”

Slutsky received her B.A. from Colgate University, where she served for nine years as a trustee and chairman of the budget committee, and her M.A. from The New School, where she also was a trustee. She sits on the Chief Judge’s Permanent Commission to Expand Access to Civil Legal Services in New York State.

She is a former board chairman of the Council on Foundations and BoardSource, and vice chairman of The Foundation Center. She was a member of the board of Independent Sector and co-chaired its Panel on the Nonprofit Sector. She also was a director of two for-profit companies: AllianceBernstein Capital Management and AXA Equitable.

The Trust’s board will form a search committee and retain a search consultant to oversee a successful leadership transition. The Trust connects New Yorkers with vital nonprofits working to make a healthy, equitable, and thriving community for all. It is a public grantmaking foundation dedicated to improving the lives of residents of New York City, Westchester, and Long Island. For more information, visit nycommunitytrust.org.