What happens when two professional women seek to make greater transformational change through joyful philanthropy?
They join together to create the Acacia Foundation.
The Acacia Foundation is a new kind of Private Foundation that practices joyful philanthropy by making investments of time and expertise to amplify passion and lengthen and strengthen the impact on both donors and nonprofits alike.
Karin Wysocki and Laura Desmond founded the Acacia Foundation in 2020, with the Acacia tree chosen as its symbol because of its fast and continuous growth plus its positive “giving” impact to the world.
Karin Wysocki, Acacia Foundation co-founder, built a successful cleaning company and has extensive experience in HR, Sales and Finance. She was seeking a deeper connection to the nonprofits she was supporting and felt that her contributions could have more impact. She envisioned a new kind of Foundation with activities that would unleash donors’ passion for sharing their gifts of time, talent and treasure.
Laura Desmond, Acacia Foundation co-founder, is a fundraising professional with extensive experience in philanthropy – securing seven-figure gifts, executing grants management, building annual funds and planning event and campaign strategies/programs. She envisioned sharing her 30+ years of working for major Cleveland philanthropic institutions with a greater number of nonprofit charitable organizations and donors. Her experience includes managing teams of professionals at the American Red Cross, The Cleveland Orchestra and Case Western Reserve University.