As our outgoing past president, Katherine Young leaves behind a deep imprint. But if you ask her about it, she’ll talk more about others. She’ll tell you about the donors. About the people who walk through the door with big questions, dreams, and sometimes uncertainty. She’ll tell you how, as an estate planning attorney, her job is to help folks give back in ways that reflect who they are and what they care about most. That’s where the Community Foundation entered her story, as a natural partner in helping people do more with what they’ve built.
She’s been a part of the Community Foundation since 2013, starting with the Women’s Fund. From there, she joined the advisory board, where her clarity, perspective, and thoughtfulness helped shape meaningful conversations and strategy. Whether we were weighing grant decisions or mapping long-term goals, Katherine always asked the right questions and brought us back to the “why.”
Katherine’s professional lens made her an especially valuable bridge between our mission and the community. As an attorney at Anderson O’Brien, she’s helped countless individuals find ways to give back intentionally. Sometimes they started with a clear plan, sometimes they had just a feeling that they wanted to do something good. Katherine met each person where they were and connected them with trusted partners like the Community Foundation to shape their legacy.
She has always seen estate planning as a personal and purpose-driven process. That approach has helped raise awareness around planned giving and understanding of how future resources can sustain our mission for years to come.
When asked what Community Foundation organizational attributes resonate with her most, Katherine picked “purposeful” and “valuable.” Those two words sum up exactly how she’s led, served, and represented this organization. Her steady hand and heart for community have helped us grow—not just in dollars, but in direction.
We are incredibly grateful for Katherine’s years of service and the wisdom she brought to every meeting, conversation, and decision. She may be wrapping up her board term, but we know her connection to this work is far from over. We know that Katherine Young will keep showing up for this community, and we are all better for it.
