The Buck Names Lisa Seitz Gruwell as Chief Advancement Officer

Photo by Myleen Hollero, CC BY-SA 4.0

The Buck Institute for Research on Aging today announced the appointment of Lisa Seitz Gruwell as its Chief Advancement Officer. In this role, Seitz Gruwell will lead all aspects of the Buck’s advancement efforts – philanthropy, communications, and marketing – and serve as a key member of the Institute’s executive leadership team.

“We are thrilled to welcome Lisa to the Buck,” said Eric Verdin, MD, President and CEO. “Lisa has proven and deep expertise in philanthropy, communications, and community building for mission-driven organizations. We are confident that, in partnership with our board and executive team, she will play a leading role in helping us achieve our critical fundraising goals.”

Seitz Gruwell joins the Buck after 15 years at Wikipedia, where she was Chief Advancement Officer and Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Wikipedia Foundation and President of the Wikimedia Endowment. During Seitz Gruwell’s time at Wikipedia, she increased philanthropic giving from approximately $30M to $230M per year and founded the Wikimedia Endowment, a separate charity that grew to over $200M under her leadership.  She also led the community growth teams that recruited, trained, and supported the global community of over 280,000 active volunteers who create Wikipedia.

“The Buck Institute’s researchers are making accelerated progress on our understanding of aging and age-related disease, and their work is already significantly improving human health,” Seitz Gruwell said. “There is a tremendous opportunity to tell the story of the Buck to the world and engage people in supporting our efforts to help people live better longer.”

Prior to joining Wikipedia, Seitz Gruwell was Chief Operating Officer for Skyline Public Works and the Rappaport Family Foundation, which blended venture capital with philanthropy to support and incubate social good organizations. Earlier in her career, she held various roles in public relations, political consulting, and public policy.