Laura Coy

Director of Philanthropy Strategy and Vice President, William Blair & Company Foundation

Laura joined William Blair in 2016 to elevate the financial services firm’s philanthropic culture and create opportunities to engage employees and clients in strategic philanthropy. Laura works as a trusted partner to families focused on high impact philanthropy and helps clients build charitable vehicles, develop focus areas and grants portfolios, establish measurement, and impact programs, and explore innovative impact investing strategies. Laura also leads William Blair’s community engagement programs and the William Blair & Company foundation, aimed to inspire the next generation of philanthropists through its employee-centered matching and global signature grants program. Laura co-leads William Blair’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) working group and helps to monitor the firm’s ESG commitments and progress.

Prior to William Blair, Laura was the senior manager of corporate social responsibility (CSR), public affairs manager, and senior corporate philanthropist for W.W. Grainger, Inc. While at Grainger, she initiated their ESG efforts and corporate responsibility reporting. Prior to Grainger, Laura worked for nonprofits including the National Alzheimer’s Association, the American Red Cross, and the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum where she led major fundraising campaigns for education, research, and environmental initiatives. She is the former board chair emeritus of the Association of Corporate Citizenship Professionals and serves on the Leadership Committee of the Illinois Holocaust Museum. She and her family proudly reside in Chicago, IL.