Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies (MACP) announced that Jeannine Balfour has joined the organization as Program Director, Legacy Programs. In this position, Jeannine will lead MACP’s grantmaking work with eight Southern California organizations, along with one of its long-time grantee partners, Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). She will also serve on the Program Leadership Team.
Jeannine (she/her/hers) comes to MACP with more than two decades of experience leading strategic planning, program administration, and grantmaking with national, family, and regional foundations. She spent more than ten years as a Senior Program Officer with the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, where she developed and administered the Foundation’s $24 million grant portfolio in support of young people in foster care. In that role, she led more than 100 grantees and other philanthropic and research partners in building a comprehensive strategy to improve outcomes for young people in Los Angeles County and New York City.
Prior to the Hilton Foundation, Jeannine spent ten years as a Program Officer in the Twin Cities, first at Northwest Area Foundation and later at the McKnight Foundation, where she managed diverse grant portfolios that included issues of runaway and homeless youth, faith-based community and civic engagement, and juvenile justice. In addition, Jeannine has organized and led philanthropic collaboratives, specialized research efforts, and capacity-building projects to bring increased awareness and resources to diverse fields. She also served as Program Manager for Population Services International in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and as an English language instructor in Banjul, The Gambia.
Jeannine has a Master of Public Health in International Health from Tulane University’s School of Public Health. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in anthropology and African American studies from the University of Minnesota.
“Jeannine brings a great understanding of successful program and systems change, along with deep experience applying principles of equity in philanthropic strategies.” said Mark Sanderson, Managing Program Director at MACP. “We are excited to have her join our Legacy & Opportunity grantmaking area as well our Program Leadership Team.”
