St. Petersburg Foundation Hires First Executive Director Karen Chassin Brings Deep Philanthropic and Nonprofit Sector Expertise

(St. Petersburg, FL, March 22, 2021) The St. Petersburg Group is pleased to announce that its philanthropic arm, the St. Petersburg Foundation, has hired its first executive director. Karen Chassin is a seasoned philanthropy professional who has helped mission-driven organizations position, brand and deliver on their unique value to the communities they serve for more than 25 years.

 Chassin came to St. Petersburg in 2016 to serve in a leadership role at the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg. Her previous experience includes tenure as communications director at the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, one of the nation’s largest community foundations, and at the University of Michigan Museum of Art. Chassin holds a B.A. in English from Miami University in Ohio and an M.A. in English literature from the University of Toronto.

 The St. Petersburg Foundation was established by the founding partners of the St. Petersburg Group, Irv Cohen and Joe Hamilton, to bring entrepreneurial thinking, business expertise and new communication channels to accelerate social impact in Tampa Bay. The St. Petersburg Group is a consulting consortium that brings together top-tier talent to help nonprofits and other social sector innovators achieve greater impact in their work.

 “The St. Petersburg Foundation team is both reactive & proactive. We react to specific needs and plug in resources, acumen and our network. We lead in driving innovation that supports nonprofits in achieving their missions,” says co-founder Joe Hamilton. “Karen brings a wonderful and powerful mix of empathy, adaptability, talent and passion. She is a high-leverage addition to the Foundation and will deliver incredible value to our community and its nonprofits.”

 About the St. Petersburg Foundation.

The St. Petersburg Foundation builds capacity at the organizational and community level for social impact. We are an engine for social good, leveraging business acumen and donations to fund a new type of philanthropic endeavor, a platform for entrepreneurial thinking and expert execution in the nonprofit space. We help people who have dedicated their lives to social impact develop systems, tools and processes that advance their missions and increase their effectiveness.