Vikki Spruill

Biography

Throughout her career, Vikki Spruill has worked to strengthen philanthropy and make it more effective. Since 2012, she has served as President and CEO of the Council on Foundations, the principal leadership organization for foundations of all sizes and types. As a leader in the philanthropic sector, Spruill frequently writes and speaks about the impact and value of American philanthropy, as well as the important issues impacting the charitable sector. Her writing has appeared in major publications, like The New York Times, The Guardian, and The Chronicle of Philanthropy.  Vikki’s perspective on philanthropy is heavily informed by her experiences as a nonprofit grantee. Prior to her leadership of the Council, Vikki led the Ocean Conservancy, a science-based education and citizen empowerment organization aimed at preserving a healthy ocean. Her work led to unprecedented public engagement in coastal cleanup efforts and the passage of the RESTORE Act, a key step in directing essential funding to help the Gulf ecosystem. Vikki studied communications and religious studies at Loyola University in New Orleans. She received her master’s degree, also in communications from the University of West Florida. She is on the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy at Grand Valley State University Leadership Council and Simons Foundation Science Sandbox Advisory Board; and currently serves on the boards of the Communications Partnership for Science and the Sea (COMPASS), the Worldwide Initiative for Grantmaker Support (WINGS), the BLK SHP Foundation, and the Water Institute of the Gulf. Vikki and her husband Jeff have two grown daughters and two rescue dogs. They spend all the time they can close to any beach they can find.