Catherine Crystal Foster opened her consulting practice in Palo Alto, California in 1998 after more than 15 years of experience in the non-profit and government sectors. She offers policy expertise, advocacy experience, knowledge of community issues, and expert strategic, analytic, and writing skills to non-profit and philanthropic organizations. Her areas of focus include child health, family poverty, child care, youth development, child welfare, and education.
As a consultant, she has partnered with a wide range of clients at the local, state, and national levels: Her analytic reports have educated advocates, funders, and legislators. Her action alerts have motivated grassroots activists to take a stand. The profiles of families she has interviewed have captured media attention statewide. Her research on evaluation strategy and analysis of grant-making options have aided foundation staff in their operations and strategy. For every client, Catherine provides timely and positive results.
In partnership with Blueprint Research & Design, Catherine engages in leading-edge efforts to help funders and their grantees evaluate policy and advocacy activities to promote learning and social change.
Catherine's prior experience includes leading national projects to aid state and local child advocates at Voices for America's Children (formerly the National Association of Child Advocates), authoring the primary welfare and child support implementing legislation for the District of Columbia following welfare reform, leading a seminar on welfare policy at Stanford Law School, and representing Spanish-speaking women in domestic violence litigation at Ayuda.
An active community and school volunteer and the parent of two children, she has served on a range of non-profit boards of directors, and currently serves on the board of the Palo Alto Community Fund. Catherine received a bachelor's degree from Yale University and a law degree from Harvard Law School.