Harriet Karr-McDonald Transitions to President Emeritus as The Doe Fund Continues Search for Next President
The nonprofit’s next visionary leader will build on thirty years of innovative, award-winning programming while advancing The Doe Fund as the most successful solution to homelessness, recidivism and dirty streets.
New York, NY— Harriet Karr-McDonald, who became President of The Doe Fund after the passing of its Founder George McDonald last year, will transition to President Emeritus on November 1, the organization announced. Harriet co-founded the Ready, Willing & Able program in 1990 with George, her life and work partner. With the intention of identifying a successor, George had assumed the role of Chief Transition Officer in November of 2020 and a Governance and Succession Committee was formed.
During Harriet’s tenure, The Doe Fund emerged as a resource to New York City in its post-pandemic recovery. The organization partnered on the City Cleanup Corps, a recovery initiative that provided paid work to 10,000 New Yorkers in sanitation, graffiti removal, and horticultural services throughout the five boroughs. In 2022, Harriet was appointed by Mayor Adams to a special committee of experts designed to address the recent surge in street homelessness.
The Doe Fund has been working with Development Guild since June to identify the next President and internal candidates have been encouraged to apply. The Governance and Succession Committee will recommend a finalist from a pool of internal and external candidates to the Board of Directors.
The Doe Fund Board Chairman Steven Koppel said, “Harriet’s steadfast leadership sustained The Doe Fund through a time of unprecedented change and challenge. Her vision enabled the organization to grow and continue to innovate. Harriet is leaving The Doe Fund in a position of great future opportunity and financial stability.”
The Doe Fund and its next President will serve as a partner to New York City as it seeks immediately implementable solutions to a convergence of crises, including homelessness, crime, and dirty streets. The ideal candidate will sustain the legacy of what George and Harriet created while possessing entrepreneurial vision, business acumen, and a strong commitment to racial and economic justice.
The Doe Fund’s award-winning Ready, Willing & Able inspired the creation of model reentry programs in six communities throughout the United States. The organization is the first of its kind to launch revenue-generating social enterprises that support programs while equipping participants with marketable employment skills. Through its most visible social enterprise, the Community Improvement Project, program participants known as the Men in Blue provide sanitation services to over 115 miles of New York City streets. These individuals then transition to paid career training in living wage fields, including most recently welding.
About The Doe Fund
Since 1985, The Doe Fund has helped nearly 30,000 individuals break the devastating cycle of poverty, homelessness, and incarceration. The organization’s Ready, Willing & Able program provides paid work, housing, and comprehensive support services to homeless and formerly incarcerated men. Graduates of Ready, Willing & Able are 62% less likely to recidivate compared to demographically identical peers.
In 2020, The Doe Fund was named Affordable Housing Finance’s Top 50 Affordable Housing Developers. Within New York City, the organization oversees more than one million square feet of affordable, supportive, and transitional housing across 16 residences in operation and development.
