Bill Warren

Bio

Chief Philanthropy Officer, Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism

Bill Warren currently serves as the Chief Philanthropy Officer at the Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism. He was previously the Associate Vice President for Institutional Partnerships within the Division of University Advancement at The Catholic University of America. In that role, Bill oversaw the University’s efforts to secure funding from all types of institutional donors and organizations, including corporate, foundation, and government sources. Bill oversaw federal advocacy efforts and the build-out of a government relations strategy for the institution. He also led the revenue generation efforts for one of the priority areas within Catholic’s comprehensive campaign, around Faculty Excellence and Research. He and his team were responsible for raising $10 million annually from sponsorships and institutional grants.

Prior to February 2020, Bill’s tenure at Catholic included co-management of establishing the University’s school-based fundraising efforts, including direct work with the following schools: Arts and Sciences, Engineering, the National Catholic School of Social Service, the Rome School of Music, Drama, and Art, and Theology and Religious Studies. His areas of oversight also included Advancement Communications and Corporate and Foundation Relations.

From March 2018 to February 2020, Bill’s role also included formal leadership of the University’s comprehensive campaign, Light the Way: The Campaign for Catholic University, as Campaign Director.

Prior to his return to higher education fundraising, Bill worked to build a substantial development office and program at the nonprofit National Geographic Society in Washington, D.C., most recently serving as Vice President of Development developing revenue opportunities and sharing the Society’s nonprofit mission with foundation donors and high-net worth individuals.

Over the course of his 13-year career at the Society, Bill helped cultivate some of the Society’s most important and substantial donor relationships, building a team of professionals who interface with institutional funders and secure major grant funding for the Society’s programs and initiatives. He was an integral part of a philanthropic effort at the National Geographic Society that grew tenfold in the last decade-plus, predictably raising in excess of $30 million annually.

Bill spent the first part of his career working for his alma mater, The Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore, Maryland, and Maret School in Washington, D.C. He transitioned into institutional giving with The National Trust for Historic Preservation and the YWCA of the National Capital Area before joining the National Geographic Society in December 2002. He holds a BA in psychology from The Johns Hopkins University. He and his wife and two boys make their home in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

Mr. Warren joined the BSCS board of directors in 2020.