Hartford Foundation Welcomes Two New Senior Development and Donor Engagement Officers

The Hartford Foundation is pleased to announce the hiring of Francesca Borges Gordon and Liana Garcia-Fresher as senior officers in the Foundation’s development and donor engagement department.

Borges Gordon has had a distinguished career in both the corporate and the nonprofit arena. A Trinity College graduate and Hartford resident, she has most recently been an associate vice president at the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center Foundation. Borges Gordon’s previous work at the Saint Francis Foundation focused on major gifts to support both the Men’s Health Institute and the Women’s Health Center for the hospital. She will be working in the donor-advised fund program and in major gifts cultivation.

Garcia Fresher had previously worked at the Foundation in in 2012-13 before relocating to Texas with her family. Having returned to Hartford, she will be focusing on cultivating and securing major gifts for the Foundation. Garcia Fresher is a graduate of UConn and holds a Master’s Degree from New York Medical College; her career has included leadership positions in Connecticut healthcare and nonprofit organizations, most recently serving as vice president of development for The Village for Families & Children.

“This is a very exciting time for the Hartford Foundation as we implement our new strategic plan which emphasizes not only better responding to donors’ interests with innovative opportunities, but connecting new and existing donors with our priority areas,” said Deborah Rothstein, the Hartford Foundation’s vice president for Development and Donor Engagement. “We are incredibly fortunate to have Francesca Borges Gordon and Liana Garcia-Fresher joining our team. These two talented professionals have deep knowledge of our community and exceptional fundraising experience which will allow us to do even more to support Greater Hartford.”

The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving is the community foundation for Hartford and 28 surrounding communities. In 2015, the Foundation celebrated 90 years of grantmaking in the Greater Hartford region, made possible by the gifts of generous individuals, families and organizations. It has awarded grants of more than $650 million since its founding in 1925. For more information about the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, visit www.hfpg.org or call 860-548-1888.