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Robert Lewis is the President/Founding Board Chair of BCIF. Robert has almost 25 years of professional experience working in philanthropy and the nonprofit human and social services sector. In the philanthropic sector, Robert has been responsible for grantmaking for companies such as L.A. Care Heath Plan and the California Community Foundation (CCF). As part of L.A. Care’s Community Benefits Department team, Robert plays a key role in the company’s grantmaking efforts geared toward improving health care access for under-resourced populations and addressing social determinants of health. During his years working at CCF, Robert managed several grantmaking portfolios and was the architect and director of the BLOOM Initiative, a multi-year effort focused on re-directing Black male youth who have been involved with the L.A. County probation system toward improved employment and educational opportunities. Robert has directed multimillion dollar human service programs for agencies such as Prototypes and The Community College Foundation (TCCF), where he oversaw strategic activities for a juvenile offender re-entry program and an L.A. Countywide training program for prospective resource (i.e., foster and adoptive) parents. Robert has served on several boards and formal committees including, but not limited to: Hathaway-Sycamores Child and Family Services, New Earth, Goodwill Southern California, the African-American Board Leadership Institute (AABLI), and KCET. He is Principal Emeritus for NEX-Impact, a boutique management consulting group that provides relevant and culturally competent capacity building and technical assistance services to nonprofit organizations and helps social investors better engage and support nonprofits. He is also one of a select group of trainers for The Grantsmanship Center (TGC), based in Los Angeles, where he facilitates TGC’s hallmark five-day Grantsmanship Training Program. Robert received a bachelor’s in sociology from Occidental College and a master’s in social work with a concentration in administration and management from Howard University. Robert brings various perspectives to his work: investor, “no box” critical thinker, service provider, concerned citizen, and lifelong L.A. resident. These qualities position him as a unique and compelling voice across various L.A. communities, and beyond.
