June Wilson headshot

June L. Wilson

Executive Director, Compton Foundation | NCFP Fellow (2018–2021)

June Wilson, a celebrated philanthropic leader in racial justice advocacy and alternative approaches to legacy and perpetuity, is Executive Director of the Compton Foundation. She is guiding the 75-year-old philanthropic organization’s trajectory as it moves all of its assets toward its purpose: climate resilience, peace and security, democracy, reproductive justice, and narrative strategy. To that end, Wilson is shaping the foundation’s reparations strategy and transitioning its partners toward new avenues of support. Overall, the foundation’s process of “spending up,” in alignment with its mission, will enable Compton to close its doors at the end of 2025.

Wilson brings extensive hands-on expertise to this effort, having guided the sunset process of the Quixote Foundation in Seattle, Washington. She has engaged philanthropic families and foundations in examining and designing practices and policies that promote racial equity and justice, repair, and return, and encourages foundations to consider increased financial payout and alternative models to perpetuity. Wilson’s background as a choreographer, movement-based performer, and community arts organizer are foundational to her leadership style. She values reflective listening and utilizes creative and improvisational approaches to feed and sustain her life, her leadership, and her relationships with others. Wilson uses the pronouns she, her, and hers, and cherishes her identities of mother, daughter, sister, spouse, and friend.

 

Contributions

BIPOC Leaders Peer Network: Situating Power for Impact: Leadership from Every Role

Posted on February 7, 2024 by June L. Wilson

How can BIPOC professionals in family philanthropy use their leadership for impact, regardless of their roles or titles? Longtime philanthropy leader and Compton Foundation President June Wilson will share words of wisdom on how we can each lean into leadership and feel empowered. If you are unable to attend this event, but are interested in being a part of the… Read More
From NCFP, Effective Family Philanthropy in Action

The Benefits—and Challenges—of Adding an Equity Lens to Philanthropy Practices

Posted on October 10, 2023 by Diana Tyler Heath, June L. Wilson

Philanthropy is rooted in and continues to operate within inequitable systems and structures. Philanthropists have long sought to address these inequities in their grantmaking, and in recent years many have begun to examine how they can further address inequities in their practices. At NCFP, we see equity as a core principle of effective family philanthropy. We believe that equity begins… Read More

The Principles of Effective Family Philanthropy: Equity

Posted on June 5, 2023 by Sergio Rodríguez, Liz Dozier, Cathy Cha, Erin Borla, Nicholas A. Tedesco, June L. Wilson, Kelly D. Nowlin

 Effective family philanthropy makes a collective commitment to meaningful societal change. It holds itself accountable to impact as defined by community, and to the proven practices that support it. It is adaptive, evolving with the family and the community or ecosystem within which it operates. It shares or cedes power with different family members and generations, as well as… Read More

2023 Family Philanthropy Leadership Retreat

Posted on April 19, 2023 by Susan Stamerjohn, Michelle Tremillo, Alejandro Foung, Dr. Jason Franklin, Jonathan Brack, Sandra Fluke, Tonya Allen, Diego Zegarra, Sue Banerjee, Catherine Maddox Walton

Save the Date 2023 Family Philanthropy Leadership Retreat
Thank you so much for your interest in the Leadership Retreat. The event is sold out, and we are no longer accepting names for the waitlist, due to the unlikelihood of accommodating everyone on it already. We are delighted by the response, and we regret that we have to turn anyone away. Please keep an eye on our Programs and… Read More

The Solidarity of Repair

Posted on August 15, 2022 by Leticia Nieto, Miki Akimoto, A. Sparks, June L. Wilson

To quote Leticia Nieto and Margot Boyer, “…we can’t have a more just society without talking about injustice.”  And to take it one step further, without talking about how we repair, and restore what has been lost to systems of injustice and oppression.  Join us for a discussion of how to support the practices of racial reckoning and reparative action, using the… Read More
From NCFP

Racial Justice in Family Philanthropy: A Conversation Between Nick Tedesco and June Wilson

Posted on January 19, 2022 by Nicholas A. Tedesco, June L. Wilson

Prior to Nick Tedesco’s official start as president and CEO of the National Center for Family (NCFP), he attended NCFP’s conference where Edgar Villanueva discussed white supremacy and racism in philanthropy. In a candid conversation with Compton Foundation Executive Director June Wilson, Nick reflects on his reaction to Edgar’s session at the Forum and how that was a catalyst on… Read More

Racial Justice in Family Philanthropy Symposium

Posted on September 19, 2021 by Vincent Robinson, Doua Thor, Dwayne S. Marsh, Irene Wong, Sandy Herz, John Matthew Sobrato, Nora Leccese, Annie Mahon, Hanna Mahon, Sam Vinal

Registration is now closed. If you have questions, please email ncfp@ncfp.org. NCFP’s Family Philanthropy Racial Justice Symposium is a two-day virtual learning opportunity for family foundation board members, CEOs, senior staff, and next generation family members seeking to deepen their knowledge around racial equity frameworks and practices. Leverage Philanthropic Partners, ABFE, Resource Generation, other experts in this space will lead… Read More
Voices from the Field

Video Highlights from the 2020 Trustee Education Institute

Posted on September 2, 2021 by Nicholas A. Tedesco, Kimberly Myers Hewlett, Liesel Pritzker Simmons, Valerie Rockefeller, June L. Wilson

past TEI attendees
The Trustee Education Institute is one of NCFP’s signature events, offering family foundation board members and CEOs a comprehensive overview of family philanthropy trends and topics. Last year’s virtual Institute featured conversations on values, racial equity, board chair leadership, next-gen engagement, and much more. Here are short video highlights from a few of those sessions in 2020. Please visit the… Read More

Narratives that Shape Family Origin Stories and their Connection to Ownership

Posted on June 17, 2021 by Sarah Cavanaugh, June L. Wilson

Family philanthropy is rooted in family origin stories. While these narratives are multi-faceted, the field needs to further acknowledge and address how whiteness is embedded in stories about wealth creation and ownership. In this dialogue, Sarah Cavanaugh of the Russell Family Foundation will share how her efforts to tackle her own whiteness are beginning to shape the family conversation at… Read More
Voices from the Field

Beyond A Donation: Reflecting On Philanthropy And Reparations (Part 4)

Posted on April 26, 2021 by LeAnne Moss, Candace Tkachuck, June L. Wilson

Photo via Shutterstock This article was originally published by Giving Compass and is re-posted here with permission. This is part two in a four-part series. Read part one, part two, and part three. “Anti-oppression can’t happen without the presence of spirit. Dehumanization, soul loss, and alienation are not states of mind, so it is not a change of mind that is needed. They are… Read More