Carol Erickson brings extensive experience  in building relationships with the philanthropic community to Education Design Lab as Director of Foundation and Philanthropic Partnerships. Carol works with the philanthropic sector to help the Lab fulfill its mission and increase its impact.  

Prior to joining the Lab, Erickson managed education, research, evaluation, technology and literacy initiatives for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, International Research & Exchange Board (IREX), American Library Association, and Fulbright Senior Scholar Exchange. Carol has also supported a wide variety of nonprofits and businesses to enhance their poverty alleviation efforts, focusing on strategic planning, organizational capacity building, fundraising and foundation partnerships, board development, communications, project management, and research; and supported for-profit entities to build philanthropic initiatives that reflect their companies’ values.

Throughout her career, she has raised hundreds of millions of dollars in charitable contributions, and made thousands of grants to individuals, nonprofits, and government entities around the globe. Carol was excited to join the Lab because she enjoys working on initiatives that create social change through substantial shifts in the status quo. 

HOMETOWN: Tiny village in the Catskill Mountains of New York State

BACHELOR’S: B.A. Russian and Linguistics, State University of New York at Albany

MASTER’S: M.A. Slavic Linguistics, State University of New York at Albany

MASTER’S: M.S. Library and Information Science, University of Illinois

FAVORITE QUOTE: “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing’s going to get better.  It’s not.” –  Dr. Seuss

WHEN I’M NOT AT WORK I’M… planting seeds and pulling weeds, knitting, reading, planning my next trip, and trying new recipes.