The Woman Behind The Movement
A nationally recognized strategist and social impact leader, LaToya Williams-Belfort brings over two decades of executive experience advancing measurable community transformation. Raised in The Bronx, she has mobilized over $100 million in philanthropic capital, forging cross-sector partnerships that drive systemic change, and inclusive growth.
LaToya’s leadership blends enterprise precision with community authenticity. Her work has earned national recognition from Crain’s New York, City & State and The Network Journal , and she has been featured on Good Morning America and Bloomberg Business for her insights on equity-centered innovation.
2.LaToya attended PS78X and IS144 for elementary and Jr high school
4.
Her first job was at 14 years old, at the Burger King on Boston and
Eastchester Road
Bronx, NY – November 17, 2025 – The Bronx Community Foundation (BxCF), the first and only community foundation exclusively dedicated to serving The Bronx, today announced the appointment of LaToya Williams-Belfort as its new Executive Director.
Williams-Belfort, a nationally recognized Bronx-born social impact leader who previously led a national philanthropic organization, brings a proven track record of mobilizing over $100 million in philanthropic capital and driving systemic change through innovative, equity-centered approaches.
Under Williams-Belfort’s leadership, The Bronx Community Foundation embarks on a transformative new chapter, positioning the foundation as a national blueprint for data-driven, equity-centered, collective action philanthropy that delivers measurable impact where it’s needed most. Her appointment marks a pivotal moment for the borough, bringing together a Bronx-rooted leader with global experience to reimagine how strategic philanthropy can drive lasting community power.
The organization’s agenda will roll out in the coming months. Key issues that BxCF has focused on include housing, health care, food insecurity, education, small business support, equity & justice, and economic development, including access to digital resources.
LaToya Williams-Belfort is a dynamic nonprofit executive, community advocate, and strategist whose nearly two-decade career in New York has been defined by advancing equity, opportunity, and collective action across philanthropy, public-private partnerships, and grassroots impact.
Before joining The Bronx Community Foundation, she led the Fifteen Percent Pledge as Executive Director, growing its team across NY and LA, increasing the operating budget year-over-year, significantly expanding the organization’s grant making portfolio and national partnerships, while developing a network of over 10,000 Black-owned businesses.
Williams-Belfort also held senior executive leadership roles at Partnership with Children, the Jericho Project, Children of Promise NYC, and United Way of New York City, where she transformed development strategies and championed support for historically disinvested New Yorkers.
“The Bronx Community Foundation is redefining the future of philanthropy: strategic, innovative, collaborative, and accountable to measurable outcomes,” said LaToya Williams-Belfort, Executive Director.
“For me, this work is deeply personal. The Bronx does not need saving; it needs sustained, systems- level investment that treats philanthropy as catalytic capital; an engine for equity and innovation.
Every dollar we mobilize must deliver a systemic return, building long-term value for Bronx residents and strengthening the economic and social infrastructure that powers our communities. My vision is to scale and fortify the established foundation built by Derrick Lewis and Desmon Lewis, supported by many other Bronxites and community leaders, harnessing The Bronx’s unmatched ingenuity to accelerate inclusive growth, expand equitable opportunity, and drive sustainable community transformation.”
“LaToya embodies the vision we’ve had since day one; that The Bronx needs more than charity; it needs investment, strategy, and authentic partnership with community leaders, investors and philanthropists who authentically believe that investing in The Bronx is an investment in an inclusive and robust New York economy,” said Derrick Lewis, Board Chair of The Bronx Community Foundation.
“The Foundation was created to directly address historic, systemic challenges, scale solutions and build community power, and LaToya is the visionary, proven leader we need to take that work to the next level. We couldn’t be more excited about the future of BxCF under her leadership.”