Rancho Santa Fe Foundation Welcomes Linda Kitchens as Executive Board Chair

Linda brings a background in financial services and a passion for community to the role

Rancho Santa Fe Foundation celebrates the installation of its new executive board chair, Oceanside resident and longtime community advocate Linda Kitchens, who officially took the helm on January 1, 2024. As board chair, Linda will lead and engage Rancho Santa Fe Foundation’s 15-member board of directors, oversee a $14 million grants budget, supervise the Foundation’s chief executive officer, and represent the Foundation in the community, among other duties.

Linda’s involvement with Rancho Santa Fe Foundation began in January 2020 as a member of the Finance and Strategic Planning Committee. She was introduced to the Foundation through its former President and CEO, Christy Wilson, and grew to know the Foundation as the place to help people create and enhance their impact and family legacy. Linda hit the ground running by introducing and later implementing several enhancements to the Foundation’s budgeting and operational decision-making processes, which helped streamline grantmaking for greater impact. In January 2022, she ascended to the role of Finance Committee chair and also became the Foundation’s treasurer.

Linda brings investment and business acumen to her new leadership role—thanks in part to a successful career in wealth management—while maintaining a keen focus on the Foundation’s mission to connect philanthropists with nonprofits to amplify and accelerate the impact of both.

“Not only is Linda a brilliant leader and mentor, she is also someone who isn’t afraid to roll up her sleeves and get things done,” said Karen Sprigle, interim president and CEO, Rancho Santa Fe Foundation. “We are fortunate to work so closely with her, and I am confident that the wealth of experience and strategic vision she brings will propel the Foundation to new heights for even greater impact in our community.”

Linda has lived in North County since 1985. She currently resides in Oceanside, where she enjoys spending time with her grown children and granddaughter, practicing yoga, reading, cooking and enjoying the beach.

A history of giving back in San Diego (and around the world)

Over the years, Linda’s participation with nonprofit organizations in San Diego—including Girl Scouts San Diego, Encinitas Coastal Rotary Club, TERI Legacy Advisory Council and others—has served as a testament to her dedication to positively impacting and empowering local communities. While serving as president of Encinitas Coastal Rotary Club, Linda had opportunities to travel abroad and develop relationships and a sharp eye to best evaluate community needs and what’s needed to effect remarkable change. She is also a founding member of Hand to Hand, which focuses on empowering local women and girls to implement positive change in their lives, and served as head of the finance committee from 2008 to 2010.

In her career with financial services provider Aspiriant, Linda co-chairs the company’s Women Taking Charge initiative, which fosters mentorship and educational opportunities to empower women within and outside the organization. Additionally, Linda was recently recognized as a finalist in San Diego Magazine’s 2023 “Celebrating Women” awards, which spotlights extraordinary women who have greatly impacted various fields across San Diego.

“Linda is a shining example of a strong leader and she serves as a remarkable representative of the Foundation,” said Amy Myers, vice president of philanthropy, Rancho Santa Fe Foundation. “She is extremely dedicated to her family, her profession, and to growing Rancho Santa Fe

Foundation. We look forward to what the future holds for the Foundation with Linda at the helm!”

Spearheading goals for impactful giving at Rancho Santa Fe Foundation

For Linda, there is much to be excited about in her new role with Rancho Santa Fe Foundation. “I’m looking forward to leveraging our expertise and executing our growth plans so we can inspire others to come together to have an even greater impact in our community,” she shared. “At the Foundation, we creatively serve and exceed the expectations of our donors and fundholders. We are the place to help people enhance their impact.”

There are many ways to give through Rancho Santa Fe Foundation. The Foundation’s three collaborative grantmaking pillars can make a significant impact by providing a larger, collective fund that can be strategically directed toward key community needs: Supporting Our Heroes (formerly, The Patriots Connection), Advancing Education and Building Healthy Communities. To grant a gift to one of the Impact Pillars, reach out to Rancho Santa Fe Foundation directly.

About Rancho Santa Fe Foundation

Rancho Santa Fe Foundation is the bridge that connects forward-thinking philanthropists in North County San Diego with outstanding nonprofit institutions. The Foundation serves as a convener, bringing the right people and organizations together to help donors leverage impact and nonprofits accelerate progress. Learn more at www.rsffoundation.org.