In the spring of 2009, the Johnson County Community Foundation faced unprecedented uncertainty.
The ongoing recession had sapped its investments, cutting its assets by 30%. With the economy in shambles and financial struggles wracking the community, foundation leaders weighed their limited options.
Gail Richards, offered to become the foundation’s president and CEO, tentatively waded into the quagmire.
“I thought, ‘Am I insane?’ But the whole thing was, I wanted to put all of my skills into play, and see if I can turn this around,” she said.
Through her steady leadership, the Johnson County Community Foundation assets not only rebounded, but has thrived ever since. The foundation’s assets have grown from $10 million to nearly $40 million, which allows annual investment in the community of over $2 million and management of 350 charitable funds.
After 14 years with the Johnson County Community Foundation — and many more serving everywhere from the United Way to the Greater Greenwood Chamber of Commerce, Richards is ready to step into retirement. She leaves behind a legacy of that saw the community foundation grow into a dynamo driving the community forward.
Under her leadership, the foundation has aided the community in weathering everything from economic calamity to natural disasters to the COVID-19 pandemic.
She helped usher in programs to help local businesses corporations retain employees, and fund public art projects to beautify cities and towns throughout Johnson County.
“Gail Richards has woven an undeniable thread of dedication, wisdom and compassion as our CEO at the Johnson County Community Foundation over the past 15 years,” said Kim Kasting, who has succeeded Richards as CEO and president of the foundation. “Her visionary guidance has not only transformed our organization but has left a mark on our community.”
To celebrate Richards’ career and contributions, the Johnson County Community Foundation will host a holiday open house and retirement party from 4 to 6 p.m. Dec. 13. The community is invited to meet at the foundation’s headquarters at 398 S. Main St., Franklin.
“Gail’s legacy is a testament to the power of thoughtful leadership and tireless commitment to philanthropy has sparked a ripple effect of positive change that will continue in our community for generations to come,” Kasting said.
Prior to coming to the Johnson County Community Foundation, Richards had worked in a wide variety of community and business roles. She served nearly a decade as executive director of the Greater Greenwood Chamber of Commerce, as well as being associate director of United Way of Johnson County, and a planning and research associate for United Way of Central Indiana.
Her career has also seen her work as a business development officer for Lincoln/First Merchants Bank, and a budget analyst for Legislative Services Agency with the State of Indiana.
Stepping into the role of CEO of the community foundation tied all those things together.
“I looked at my career and at all the paths I’d taken, and this job felt like it was a combination of all I had done in the past,” she said. “It was the pinnacle — I got to do fundraising, I got to do grant-writing, I got to do finance, I got to do supervision. It was all of that in one package.”
Sandy Daniels had served as the foundation’s first full-time director since 1994 until 2007. After a short stint as interim director again in 2008, she was helping the foundation’s board of directors find a permanent replacement.
When she learned Richards was a candidate, she was overjoyed.
“I was the founding director, and it was like your first child — I worried so much when it was time for me to hang it up and go on, that there would be any backsliding we would do,” she said. “When I heard that the board was interviewing Gail Richards, I immediately thought, ‘This is right.’ She was perfect for where we were.”
The two had run in similar nonprofit circles for years, and during that time, Daniels had seen what she was capable of. Her leadership and the way she worked with the foundation board proved to be so beneficial for the entire community.
“We had the money base, but what we did with the money spoke very, very loudly in the initiatives that Gail and her staff took on,” Daniels said.
Steve Spencer joined the Johnson County Community Foundation board around the same time Richards took over as CEO. Richards’ background in a variety of roles was a plus for the board, and she proved her different talents right away as the foundation tried to weather the difficult economic climate.
“It was one of the worst economic times in the history of our country. She came in with the challenge of stabilizing the staff and keeping the confidence of the donors, because everyone was spooked,” he said.
Richards not only had the right skills to steer the foundation through the upheaval, but the right temperament as well.
“Gail’s always had a very gentle way of managing, but with firmness as well. You don’t recognize it, but she knows what she’s doing. She’s the captain of the ship, it doesn’t matter the storm ahead, she knows where she’s going and how to get us out of these problems,” Spencer said.
Richards has overseen a wealth of successes during her time with the foundation. She has helped spearhead repeated national accreditations during that time, and completed four strategic plans.
In 2013, the foundation took control of another private foundation, which took more than year of legal work to get transferred. Richards and her staff took on the challenge of taking what had been whittled down from about $5 million to $1.3 million, then building that back up.
“We wanted to stick with that policy of not invading the principal (of the fund), but keep that steady momentum going. Going through that transition was a very big achievement for me,” she said.
One of the foundation’s most impactful efforts has been the formation of the Employer Resource Network, a program aimed at employee retention. Created using grant funding from the Lily Endowment, the network provides personal coaching to employees facing challenges ranging from housing, furthering their education or finding childcare.
By working with those employees, local corporations can keep talented workers here in the county, Richards said.
Richards announced her retirement in March, with plans to stay on with the foundation through this year to help Kasting and the rest of the staff transition without her.
In the meantime, she and her husband, Mark, have moved to northern Kentucky to be closer to family. She still returns to Johnson County regularly, and works remotely the rest of the time.
She has watched the new staff doing a phenomenal job already, which she anticipated. Her final day will be on Jan. 12.
“I feel like I’ve helped accomplish a lot while at the foundation. Now it’s time for someone to take it even further,” she said.
IF YOU GO
Gail Richards Retirement Party/Holiday Open House
What: A celebration of Richards, longtime CEO and president of the Johnson County Community Foundation
When: 4-6 p.m. Dec. 13
Where: 398 S. Main St., Franklin
