Susan Coliton is a senior consultant with Luma Consulting, where she offers strategic counsel to philanthropists, foundations, and non-profits to help them deepen their impact in the communities they serve.
A focus of her practice is providing Interim CEO Services to nonprofits experiencing leadership transitions. Coliton recently completed a 16-month engagement as the Interim President and CEO of Washington Research Foundation (WRF), a private foundation which supports innovation in the life sciences. Prior to WRF, she served as Interim President and CEO of the Santa Fe Community Foundation, with an asset base of $100M+, $10M annual grant program and staff of 17. A previous appointment was as Interim President and CEO of ArtsFund, a Seattle-based united arts fund which supports and advocates for the cultural sector in the Puget Sound region.
Coliton spent 15 years as the head of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s philanthropic programs, where she oversaw regional, national and international grant-making programs through the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, with annual grantmaking averaging $50M. Through her work, she aligned donor vision with results; designed new initiatives in science, education, and the arts; and built non-profit capacity through research, workshops, and convenings.
Prior to joining the Allen Foundation, Coliton held management positions at several national philanthropic organizations. She directed the west coast office of the New York-based Nonprofit Finance Fund, designed corporate giving programs for Gap, Inc., and worked as a grantmaking specialist at the National Endowment for the Arts.
Coliton was a gubernatorial appointment on the Washington State Arts Commission where she served as chair, and is past-chair of the Philanthropy Northwest Board. She served on the board and the executive committee of Americans for the Arts, a national advocacy organization in Washington D.C. She is currently a board member of the Santa Fe Community Foundation; Outpost Productions, a New Mexico-based jazz presenter; and Washington Research Foundation.
Coliton received a B.A. from Saint Mary’s College and a masters from Johns Hopkins University. She completed Stanford’s Executive Program for Philanthropy Leaders and the Executive Seminar at the Aspen Institute. She currently lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
