Lisa Pilar Cowan

Lisa Cowan is the vice president of the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, and in this capacity she helps with strategy, development and oversight of foundation programs and grantmaking. She has been working with community-based organizations for the last 30 years, first as a community health educator and program director at several youth-serving agencies, then as a senior consultant at Community Resource Exchange. She was the co-founder of College Access: Research and Action, where she continues to act as an advisor. Most recently, Lisa was the principal consultant at Hummingbird Consulting from 2013 to 2016. 

Cowan is the co-chair of the board of NonProfit New York, sits on the board of NYC Kids RISE, and is also an occasional contributor to the Chronicle of Philanthropy and NYN Media. Lisa is a third-generation New Yorker and the proud parent of two fourth-generation New Yorkers. She graduated from Wesleyan University and was a Coro Fellow in New York City. She lives in Brooklyn with her family.