Carmen James Randolph, Founding President and CEO of Women's Foundation of the South

Profiles in Leadership

Carmen’s parents were her role models, and through them, she learned early on about the resilience, strength, and struggles embodied by women of color, who encountered constant micro-aggressions and racism, and about the critical role supportive fathers play in raising a budding feminist. Over the course of her 25-year career in philanthropy, she has worked hard to successfully galvanize funders, donors, policymakers, and grassroots activists to forever change lives, systems, and communities for good. She is particularly passionate about building prosperity for women and girls of color and firmly believes in the ineffable power a sisterhood holds to support, nurture, and amplify one another – this is why she always makes a point of collaborating with other women in philanthropy to inspire and guide each other. She is presently a fellow in the Aspen Institute and the Neighborhood Funder’s Group Philanthropy Forward initiative, and was recently invited to join Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Membership.
In August 2021, she was thrilled to take on the role of Founding President and CEO of a ground-breaking new foundation, Women’s Foundation of the South. Founded by and created for women and girls of color in the South, WFS boldly revolutionizes gender and racial justice in the Southern U.S. and beyond. WFS is dedicated to building the health and well-being, wealth and legacy, and power of womxn of color and girls in the South. So far, WFS has succeeded beautifully: WFS has already raised over $6M and provided $350k in grants to 52 women-of-color-led nonprofits in the South.
She continues to count on sisterhood – womxn who approach philanthropy as a partnership. These networks have expanded her knowledge, connections in the field, and relationships with various players. Given the political divisiveness that now reigns in our country, and the assault on the agency of a womxn’s body with Roe v Wade overturned, reproductive rights at risk, and with the social justice movement still cresting, the work of WFS has never been more important. To transform lives - of 2.5 million womxn in the South, at that - Women’s Foundation of the South believes that women-of-color-led organizations are where you should place your trust and investment.
Carmen is a proud mother of three young adults, and she lives in New Orleans with her husband and family, where they delight in the vibrant culture of the city. She was named one of the Top Women Leaders of Louisiana for 2024.