Sara Slaughter
Executive Director

In 2015, Sara Slaughter (she/her) was named Executive Director of the W. Clement & Jessie V. Stone Foundation where she oversees investments designed to build equitable systems in K-12 education, early childhood education and youth development in five major urban areas.Prior to joining the Stone Foundation, she served for ten years at the Robert R. McCormick Foundation as the Director of the Education Program, and during her tenure, the Council on Foundations awarded the Education Program the 2008 Paul Ylvisaker Award for Public Policy Engagement.

Ms. Slaughter’s focus on supporting equitable systems is also informed by her experience in the fields of law and government. She clerked for a federal district court judge following her graduation from law school and then served as a litigation associate at Kirkland & Ellis in Chicago. From 2004 until 2007, Ms. Slaughter also served as a policy advisor to former Indiana Governor, Evan Bayh.

Ms. Slaughter is a member of the Early Childhood Funders Collaborative, and served as its chair for almost four years, guiding the organization through a two-year strategic planning process that resulted in hiring its first Executive Director. She has served in leadership roles in a variety of early childhood and education organizations, and currently is a member of the Education Funders Strategy Group, the Illinois Early Learning Council, and the Metropolitan Family Services Head Start Oversight Board.

Ms. Slaughter holds a bachelor’s degree from Duke University and a Juris Doctorate from Indiana University Maurer School of Law — Bloomington. She resides in Chicago and is the proud mom of two graduates of Chicago Public Schools.  When she isn’t thinking about equitable systems, she enjoys spending time with her family, walking her two Labrador Retrievers, and riding horses.