Celebrating Susan Swan Smith

April 7, 2021

10 years of impact at CFT and in our community

Great movements happen when people are motivated to work together, go the distance, and are part of a thriving team with strong leadership. At Communities Foundation of Texas, we know this to be true for many facets of our work, and we have seen the direct impact of great leadership in that of Susan Swan Smith, CFT’s Chief Giving Day Officer. Under her leadership, North Texas Giving Day has become a community force for good, spawning a movement that has grown the spirit and power of giving in our region, and funneling millions of life-changing dollars into our nonprofit sector.

After a decade of service to CFT and our community, Susan Swan Smith is off to a new adventure this spring, becoming the new director of the My Possibilities Foundation. While we will miss her camaraderie, strategic mind, and her ever-vibrant North Texas Giving Day blue and green attire, we are thrilled that she will continue using her expertise to advocate for and support such an incredible organization.

Susan joined CFT in December 2010 as Chief Relationship Officer and over the years built the stalwart team that now delivers outstanding CFT service to our donors. As part of her role, she assumed management responsibility of our North Texas Giving Day program. Under Susan’s leadership, North Texas Giving Day has grown in leaps in bounds, becoming the largest one-day online giving event in the nation—breaking records yearly while equipping nonprofits to do their work with support, resources, and funds. Since 2009, North Texas Giving Day has raised more than $375 million for thousands of local charities. In 2020, in response to the impact of COVID-19 on nonprofits, nearly $80 million was raised from more than 100,000 donors through two online giving days.

Susan’s colleagues speak highly of her honest and transparent leadership, her fierce support of her teammates, and her commitment to doing the most good for her community. As a member of CFT’s executive leadership team, Susan’s contributions have been felt across the foundation and will leave an imprint for years to come.

North Texas Giving Day 2021 (and beyond!) will continue, with a strong team and infrastructure supported by CFT and the leaders who have executed the campaign for the last several years. The team is equipped with combined experience and expertise to continue executing this unparalleled event.

In her new role, Susan will continue in leadership, now serving My Possibilities, an organization that provides continuing education, vocational training, and job placement for adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD) in North Texas. As director of the My Possibilities Foundation, Susan will oversee all My Possibilities’ development efforts with responsibility for growing the foundation into the largest IDD-focused foundation in the country. The foundation will provide endowment for My Possibilities, IDD-focused donor-advised funds, and a special needs pooled trust to help families with their long-term savings strategies for their children and loved ones with IDD.

With deep gratitude for her service to our community, we hope you will join us in wishing Susan all the best in her next chapter.

- Communities Foundation of Texas

Blog