Karen Y. Johns is the Founder and President of The Johns Group, a consultancy specializing in nonprofit management and business development in the US and the Caribbean. The Johns Group provides an array of services including board development, strategic planning, diaspora philanthropy and fund development to help institutions build more effective organizations. Past clients of the Johns Group include: The Gates Foundation, University College of the Caribbean, The Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands, Junior Achievement Caribbean and Equality for All (Jamaica).
She also serves as an Advisor for Groundswell SPC, a financial startup, which provides co-branded visa debit cards to nonprofits and share the revenue from the transaction fees with them. In addition, Karen recently served as philanthropy consultant to the Tides Foundation Caribbean Initiatives.
Karen is a seasoned professional in the educational and nonprofit arena, with expertise in college admissions, foundation relations, corporate relations and engaging diverse communities in philanthropy. Over the years, Ms. Johns has raised over $30 million dollars in funds for the organizations, in which she served.
A graduate of Tufts University, Ms. Johns is an active motivational speaker and has presented at numerous conferences including the Conference Board, Caribbean Philanthropy, Chief Diversity Officers Summit, The Council on Foundations, Gates Millennium Scholars and Spelman College. She has served as a trustee of Sage College in New York, and past chair of the board of the Boardnet USA, a NYC based organization, promoting nonprofit board service. Karen has served on several advisory boards including Bennett College, Morgan State University and also served on a National Blue Ribbon Commission for Junior Achievement, aimed at increasing college access for low income students. She currently serves on the advisory board for Leaderspring Center in Oakland,
California.
A native of Jamaica, Karen has also served in an advisory capacity with several Caribbean based organizations including University of Technology (UTECH) and Ten Habitat, Barbados. In 2006, she created the first diaspora fund in partnership with American Friends of Jamaica to help provide educational opportunities to young people in her home parish of Portland and is currently developing a fund to support low income Caribbean women and children. Ms. Johns resides in the Atlanta area and also maintains a home in Portland, Jamaica.
