Leveling the playing field to ensure a fair chance for everyone.
Carla Javits was REDF president and CEO from 2007 – 2021.
Inspired by the leadership of REDF’s founder, George R. Roberts, Carla focused on achieving measurable results by leveraging the business community’s knowledge, networks, and resources, and the mission of the nonprofit sector to address some of our country’s most pressing challenges. In fighting to create a more inclusive society, Carla is carrying on the legacy of her father, New York Senator Jacob Javits.
Under Carla’s leadership, REDF was awarded two federal Social Innovation Fund grants by the Corporation for National and Community Service. Carla is called on frequently to share her expertise at a variety of domestic and international conferences and speaking engagements, including the Social Enterprise World Forum in Milan, Italy, the Social Traders Master Conference in Melbourne, Australia, and as part of the American Enterprise Institute “Disruptor” Series in Washington, DC. She was part of Governor Gavin Newsom’s Future of Work Commission, which brought together California leaders in technology, labor, business, education, and venture capital to develop a new social compact for California workers focused on economic equity.
Before joining REDF, Carla was president and CEO of the Corporation for Supportive Housing, where she was responsible for providing grants, loans, and technical assistance to service-enriched housing initiatives that ended homelessness for tens of thousands. She was a program analyst with the California Office of the Legislative Analyst and director of policy and planning for the San Francisco Department of Social Services.
Carla holds a BA and master’s in public policy from UC Berkeley. She serves on the board of directors of the Melville Charitable Trust and is the president of the Marian B. and Jacob K. Javits Foundation. Carla is involved in board or advisory roles with Third Sector Capital Partners, Inc., the Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship at Duke University, The Philanthropic Initiative, the Insight Center for Community Economic Development, and the State of California Community College Career Education African American Advisory Panel. She is a member of Fannie Mae’s Expert Advisory Panel in support of the Sustainable Communities Innovation Challenge, with the goal of identifying innovative, cross-sector approaches integrating employment, health, and education to help address the nation’s affordable housing crisis.