Susan Packard Orr

Distinguished Fellow (2014–2018)

Susan Packard Orr is the board chair of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation and founder and CEO of Telosa Software, a company started in 1986 to provide fundraising and other software to nonprofit organizations. Prior to starting Telosa, Susan worked as a programmer at Health Computer Services at the University of Minnesota and as an economist at the National Institutes of Health.

Susan currently serves as a trustee of the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and the Packard Humanities Institute and previously served as a trustee of the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health. She served for seven years on the board of the Hewlett Packard Company.

In May 2014, Ms. Orr was named the first Distinguished Fellow in Family Philanthropy by the National Center for Family Philanthropy (NCFP). In her role as Distinguished Fellow, she will work with NCFP to inform and shape resources for the field.

Susan holds an M.S. in computer science from New Mexico Tech, and an M.B.A. and B.A. in economics from Stanford University.

Contributions

Board Chair Peer Network: A Conversation with Susan Packard Orr

Posted on May 25, 2021 by Susan Packard Orr

Join experienced, former board chair Susan Packard Orr for a discussion about navigating transition, legacy, and multigenerational engagement, as well as the complexities of family philanthropy. Bring your questions and challenges to this peer learning space. The final 30 minutes will be peer discussion and breakouts. As a reminder, our Peer Network events are not recorded.  If you are unable… Read More

Live Stream: Philanthropic Leadership for a Rapidly Changing World – A Generational Perspective

Posted on September 14, 2018 by Carol S. Larson, Ayelet Baron, Sierra Clark, Susan Packard Orr

Our days are filled with news of a changing world and humanity’s attempts to improve it. We dive in to help. Sometimes we manage to adapt to change and sometimes fall back on old habits. We slowly begin to realize that what we learned about work, leadership, and management may not match the expectations of other families, cultures, and generations… Read More

20th Anniversary Symposium: Imagining the Future of Family Philanthropy

Posted on September 13, 2018 by Virginia M. Esposito, Carol S. Larson, Ayelet Baron, Sierra Clark, A. Sparks, Didier Sylvain, Farhad Ebrahimi, Kelly Chopus, Richard Woo, Mary Mountcastle

In addition to a celebration of NCFP’s 20th Anniversary, the Symposium will explore key themes, trends, and bold ideas generated over the year by the Imagining the Future initiative. We will also unveil several new NCFP research initiatives including Pride of Place, a report exploring how boards stay true to the original geographic focus of the family foundation after trustees have moved away.  … Read More

Things We Wish Our Founders Had Told Us: Interpreting Donor Legacy

Posted on November 29, 2016 by Susan Packard Orr

This special NCFP Distinguished Fellow Essay by Susan Packard Orr explores the questions that Susan and her fellow trustees wished they had asked of the founders when they were still alive. From the introduction: This year marks the 20th anniversary of our father’s death. Our mother has been gone almost 30 years. During this time, we have worked to build… Read More
Ask the Center

What are some points we should consider as a family foundation seeking a non-family board member?

Posted on October 28, 2015 by Susan Packard Orr

In this month's Ask the Center, we feature an excerpt from the newest Passages Issue Brief, "A steadying hand: The critical role of non-family board members," written by NCFP Distinguished Fellow Susan Packard Orr. This special PASSAGES provides insight on the various skills, expertise, and perspectives that a non-family board member can provide, as well as the common challenges for families seeking their first non-family board member, and tips for setting clear expectations for this role… Read More

A Steadying Hand: The Critical Role of Non-family Board Members

Posted on October 16, 2015 by Susan Packard Orr

This special Passages Issue Brief written by NCFP Distinguished Fellow Susan Packard Orr describes the various skills, expertise, and perspectives that non-family board members can provide, as well as some of the common challenges for families seeking to add their first non-family board members, and tips for how to set clear expectations for this role… Read More

The 2014 Trustee Education Institute: An intensive seminar for family foundation trustees

Posted on September 24, 2014 by Glen Galaich, Virginia M. Esposito, Susan Crites Price, Ami Aronson, Andrew Schulz, Kelly Sweeney McShane, Kristin Pauly, Leonor Alfonso, Maegan Scott, Mary Phillips

DOWNLOAD COMPLETE 2014 AGENDA HERE – SEE SPEAKER LIST AND BIOS BELOW NCFP’s Trustee Education Institute provides a comprehensive introduction to all of the key legal, investment, ethical, grantmaking, and family dynamics issues facing family foundation board members. Featuring a faculty made up of NCFP’s senior staff and highly respected philanthropy experts, this three day, intensive seminar will cover: What does… Read More
Voices from the Field

Susan Packard Orr on the legacy of her parents, David and Lucile Packard

Posted on May 28, 2014 by Cole Wilbur, Susan Packard Orr

Editor’s note: the following is reprinted from Living the Legacy: The Value of a Family’s Philanthropy Across Generations, published by the National Center for Family Philanthropy in 1999. In a family foundation there is no question as to the importance of learning from the donors and carrying out their legacy. David and Lucile Packard left our foundation their estate as… Read More

Get Involved

Search Knowledge Center for Resources!

We’re here to help you on your philanthropic journey. Contact NCFP for support!

Get Assistance

Keep up with trends in family philanthropy. Subscribe to our newsletter!

Signup

Family philanthropy improves the quality of life for all. Join our family!

Join Now