As we look to our future, we want to expand the number of families we serve and increase the community awareness of our mission to improve the health and wellbeing of all children and families in Orange County. As a nonprofit charity organization, CGC relies on grants and private donations to keep our programs running, so we are very excited to announce the hire of our new Development Director Karen Francis. Karen has an extensive background in nonprofit fundraising and strategic philanthropy, having worked with many successful community organizations including; Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Children’s Bureau Los Angeles, Orange County Community Foundation and Orange County United Way. Karen has been a CGC fan and advocate for more than a decade and is a donor too!

“Having the opportunity to work at CGC is a dream come true for me. I want every child who feels different, and every parent who feels overwhelmed, to know they are not alone. It’s a wonderful feeling to know those in need have access to such quality care at CGC,” she says. “I am passionate about ending the stigma associated with mental illness. CGC’s mission touches a very personal chord for me. When I was in college, my father took his life during a difficult battle with depression. He was a prominent physician in Santa Monica, too proud and too ashamed to ask for help. No one should ever feel that alone and that desperate. CGC also reflects my passion to protect and empower children, something I feel with even more purpose after the birth of my son nine years ago! Being a parent is not for the faint of heart. I am just so glad CGC is here to help children and families.”

“I look forward to meeting CGC’s dedicated and generous donors and introducing new ones to CGC’s compelling mission,” says Karen. “I want each of our donors to feel appreciated, because they truly are!”

Karen is located at CGC’s Santa Ana office and can be reached at (714) 953-4455, ext. 626, or at kfrancis@cgcinc.org.