Kate Kennedy

Kate Kennedy serves as President and CEO of the National Council For Adoption. A nonprofit executive with more than two decades of experience advancing outcomes for children and families, she leads the organization’s efforts to promote policies and practices that help children thrive in safe, permanent, and loving families while aligning strategy, partnerships, and resources to maximize impact.

Prior to this role, Kate served as Chief Development Officer at the National CASA/GAL Association for Children, where she was part of the executive leadership team implementing a national theory of change focused on improving permanency outcomes for children in foster care. She worked in partnership with the CEO, board, and national network to align strategy, systems, and resources across more than 900 local programs to advance program quality and expand services to youth and families.

Previously, Kate served as Director of Development for Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign in the Mid-Atlantic, where she led regional fundraising strategy, cultivated major donors, and supported a national effort to end childhood hunger through policy, public awareness, and systems change. Her earlier leadership roles also include serving as Chief Development Officer for the League of Women Voters and Director of Development for the Washington School for Girls, where she helped guide organizational growth, facility expansions, and long-term strategic planning.

In addition to her national nonprofit leadership, Kate brings cross-sector governance and program oversight experience from her six years as a three-term elected City Councilmember in College Park, Maryland. In that role, she contributed to the citywide strategic plan and launched the Community Preservation Trust, an innovative affordable housing initiative she helped take from concept to full implementation and now serves as Chair.

A dedicated advocate for the fundraising profession, she has held the Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credential since 2011 and is committed to strengthening ethical practice, elevating professional standards, and ensuring fundraisers have the support and pathways they need to thrive.

Kate holds an MBA from Georgetown University and a BA from Keene State College in English with a minor in Women’s Studies. She lives in College Park, Maryland, with her husband Bill. They are foster parents and have welcomed four teenage boys into their home.