Kisha Bwenge Named Senior Capacity Building Manager

The Charlottesville Area Community Foundation (Community Foundation) is pleased to welcome Kisha Bwenge as our new Senior Capacity Building Manager. Kisha will work closely with the Programs team to provide direct capacity building support to grant partners, oversee the Catchafire program, and serve as the primary liaison for our Agency Funds. 

“Kisha’s leadership in community building, and passion for advocacy make her an ideal candidate for this pivotal role,” Brennan Gould, president and CEO of the Community Foundation, said. “Her dedication to empowering community partners and driving equitable and people-centered outcomes is a valuable asset for our work. We’re excited to welcome her to the team.” 

Kisha has spent her career helping organizations increase their impact through stronger communications and engagement. She most recently served as Advisor at trubel&co, and Senior Community Building Manager with Open Contracting Partnership, where she led and developed the organization’s first community-building strategy.  

“I am thrilled to be joining the Community Foundation and contributing to our community-centered equity-forward, regenerative philanthropy practices across the region,” Kisha said. “I am especially looking forward to learning from our grantee partners, while helping meet the need for additional non-financial support from the foundation.” 

Kisha holds a BA in International Studies from Washington University in St. Louis. In 2023, she was named an Equity and Feedback Fellow by Feedback Labs, and has been awarded a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Research Fellowship by the Mellon Foundation.  

In her free time, Kisha loves exploring Virginia with her partner Tony and their two dogs, Benny and Zuzu, hosting dinner parties with her local Cookbook Club, or learning new tricks on her retro roller skates.