Executive Director for Global Philanthropy, World Vision
Kathryn Compton has been with World Vision US for more than 20 years and currently serves as the Senior Director for Global Philanthropy. A dynamic and innovative leader in her work at World Vision, Compton developed and leads Strong Women, Strong World — a global women’s empowerment initiative focused on bringing together influential and affluent partners who are dedicated to empowering girls and women through gender reconciliation in developing countries. The Strong Women, Strong World initiative uniquely positions World Vision’s work in the global context of empowering girls, women, boys and men to being equally valued, receiving equal access to services, programs and responses, and experiencing equal rights and freedoms. The growing network of Strong Women, Strong World partners has participated in workshops, educational trips to the developing world, the U.N.’s Commission on the Status of Women and multidisciplinary training and advocacy events in Washington, D.C. Through Compton’s leadership, she has created a community of partners from differing disciplines, denominations, traditions and political persuasions and an opportunity to work together on a common cause: the reduction of gender inequity. Compton brings energy, compassion, and innovation as both a fundraiser and an advocate for women and the disenfranchised. She is uniquely gifted at identifying and empowering community leaders here in the United States as well as in some of the most underdeveloped and impoverished places in the world.
Past accomplishments include the highly successful development and implementation of World Vision’s national advocacy and awareness campaign to respond to the global HIV/AIDS pandemic, the Hope Initiative. Compton led the Hope Tours, visiting over 18 cities in the U.S. with the goal of mobilizing, educating and informing individuals, corporations, foundations, community leaders and the media around the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the developing world and the U.S. With an extensive background in international travel and relationship building, Compton bridges both the distance and cultural awareness gaps between our U.S. supporters and our partners abroad, affording a unique and meaningful experience to those she works with. Her deep commitment to and love for the poor and marginalized people of the world is evident in everything she does and touches everyone she meets in a profound way.
Compton joined the Board of Directors for Global Impact in March 2015. A graduate of the University of Arizona, Compton currently resides in Tacoma, Washington, and is the proud mother to three sons and daughter-in-law.
