Caroline Dutkanych, CFRE, serves as Vice President of Philanthropy at Women’s Fund of Central Indiana, bringing more than 24 years of development experience across major gifts, campaigns, corporate giving, donor engagement, and strategic planning. A longtime member of the Women’s Fund community, Caroline has held multiple leadership roles within the organization and played a key role in exceeding 2024 fundraising goals as interim development consultant. Her deep expertise, thoughtful leadership, and commitment to equity and community make her a vital part of our team and mission.
What’s one idea or approach you’re excited to bring to Women’s Fund’s development strategy?
One new approach I’m feeling energized about is that we are now being intentional about inspiring donors to give directly to some of our grantmaking funds. A great example of this is our Women in Health Collaborative Fund,where women donors, private foundations and Women’s Fund pooled resources to make $260,000 in grants to nonprofit organizations making a difference in Black girls’ mental health, reproductive health and infant and maternal mortality. This strategy will continue to be critical for us to achieve one of our big, bold organizational goals – to deploy $1 million or more (!) each year in grants into the community, significantly more than ever before in our history.
What are some of your favorite memories or experiences from throughout your time with WF?
Wow – there are so many, but my OPTIONS experience way back in 2006 stand out. It was personally and professionally transformative for me, asit was the first time I saw myself as a philanthropist in my own right. The combination of site visits, personal philanthropy planning, and participatory grantmaking with a group of like-minded women was incredibly rewarding. I met women I never otherwise would have, and I could several of them as treasured friends. Professionally, it solidified my desire to continue to work in this space. I am proud to be a woman who dedicates energy and effort into lifting up other women and girls!
Who is a woman that has inspired you, and why?
Again, there are so many, so I will share some of the first who come to mind. As a child, I was fascinated with aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart – her bravery, her daring and her adventure! I longed to know more about her and for answers about her mysterious disappearance. She made me want to be brave and independent, too.
As a student studying literature in college, I became a huge fan of Toni Morrison. The beauty and artistry of her writing took my breath away, even as she delved into ugliness and pain as she explored identity, family, gender, poverty, racism and other complex themes. I had the privilege to hear her speak at Butler University’s Visiting Writer Series in the 1990s. The first Black female writer to win the Nobel Prize in Literature or in any category, she had just as much presence on stage as her fearless storytelling would suggest. Wow – how lucky was I to have a seat in the audience!
Early in my career in the local nonprofit sector, I was lucky enough to work for the wonderful Anna White, the late founding executive director of Young Audiences of Indiana (now Arts for Learning Indiana). Anna, who also happens to be a Founding Mother of Women’s Fund, was a collaborative and encouraging leader. Smart, decisive and a consummate professional who always dressed to the nines, she also brought joy, creativity and playfulness to her leadership style. Incredibly, at that point in time, I was the first staff member to ever have a baby while working at Young Audiences. As such, there was no formal maternal leave policy. For those who knew Anna, they will not be surprised to learn she was wildly generous in working alongside me to create a work situation that was exceedingly flexible and well suited for me as a young, first-time mother. She was ahead of her time, and I am grateful that she helped me balance my new identity as a mother and maintain my autonomy as a thriving professional, setting the stage for what has been a meaningful career. Put simply, I am grateful.