Jane Justis, Executive Director, Leighty Foundation

Jane Leighty Justis carries on her family’s rich tradition of community service by serving as the Leighty Foundation’s executive director as well as a trustee. The Leighty Foundation is a small family foundation, founded by Jane’s father, that invests resources in ways that provide the greatest impact and ensures the most valuable return on investment in the local community. This is accomplished by increasing the number of people who want to volunteer as well as building infrastructures to connect people with worthy opportunities, and empowering them to make a meaningful difference. In Colorado Springs, The Leighty Foundation focuses on building capacity of organizations like CASA that effectively utilize community volunteers.

CASA and The Leighty Foundation pair well because both organizations value strong leadership, both board and executive, that truly believes in volunteers’ role of accomplishing the mission. Jane cites CASA of the Pikes Peak Region an example of this, calling it a model for our community. True to its mission, The Leighty Foundation has contributed funding to help launch CASA’s peer coordinator program, which is designed to maximize the time and efficiency of volunteers.

Much of the Foundation’s vision for grantmaking in volunteerism and civic engagement has been shaped by the career experience of Jane, and we commend her for her pioneering role in the field.

Recently, The Leighty Foundation received the inaugural Multigenerational Philanthropy Award at the 2014 Annual Partners in Philanthropy Luncheon in Colorado Springs.