Kathryn Lyons
Senior STRATEGIST

Kathryn Lyons’ extensive nonprofit fundraising experience, spanning more than 25 years, includes events and peer-to-peer online fundraising, mid-level and major gifts, annual giving programs, employee engagement, corporate partnerships, cause marketing, and foundation giving. Joining Social Capital, Lyons serves as senior strategist to leading nonprofits and foundations, including United Way Worldwide, Best Friends Animal Society, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Points of Light, New York Cares, American Red Cross, The END Fund and Volunteers of America.

Earlier in her career, Lyons built and led transformational fundraising teams at Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization, Feeding America and Women’s Foodservice Forum. The causes she has championed through her work include breast cancer awareness and support, hunger relief, mental wellness and advancement of women leaders in the corporate sector.

Most recently, Lyons led the development and volunteer operations team of Nourishing Hope, formerly Lakeview Pantry, during the height of the pandemic, helping the team expand and meet the demands of the unprecedented 400% increase in need—exceeding its $3.5 million by raising $7.8 million. During Lyons’ time as managing director of the corporate partnership new business team at Feeding America, the team grew from annual revenue of $10 million to $34 million in the span of four years. Notably, Lyons led transformative partnerships, including the Starbucks Foodshare program, which resulted in a Starbucks investment of $72 million within the Feeding America network (since 2016) and nearly 70 million pounds of food diverted from waste streams, equivalent to more than 57 million meals.

Lyons earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing and communication from Northern Illinois University.