Katherine Thompson Named CEO of Family House

Published on June 13, 2023

Family House San Francisco’s Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Katherine Thompson as the new chief executive officer of Family House. An accomplished philanthropy executive, Thompson joins Family House with a passion for the arts, culture, and community. Thompson will come on board on August 1, and Alexandra E. Morgan will stay on in an advisory capacity through the end of 2023. Family House was supported by Koya Partners, the nation’s premier search firm dedicated to mission-driven organizations, to place Katherine in this role.

Thompson brings more than 20 years of experience in nonprofit administration, development, and communications, with a focus on building community. At Grace Cathedral, Thompson led development, communications, and arts programming for more than ten years, helping the cathedral and its leaders grow fundraising, reputation, engagement and reach for the spiritual heart of a compassionate city.

As CEO of Family House, Thompson will oversee all aspects of Family House as we strive to provide family-centered care for critically ill children and their families.

“Katherine loves big ideas, great teams and believes building communities is essential to the human spirit,” said Todd Kovacevich, chair of the Family House Board of Directors. “We look forward to welcoming Katherine to the Family House community!”

Thompson succeeds Alexandra E. Morgan, who announced her retirement earlier this year, after leading Family House through extraordinary growth for more than 22 years. During that time, Morgan fulfilled Art Ablin’s founding vision to provide free housing and basic needs for the families of seriously ill young patients and grew the organization into a five-story, 80-bedroom facility in Mission Bay that can house more than 250 people per night. More than just a place to sleep, it’s a home away from home, and a supportive community dedicated to providing a caring environment for the entire family while their child is undergoing treatment.

As incoming CEO of Family House, Thompson couldn’t be more inspired by its mission of caring for families in their time of greatest need so that children can access life-saving care in San Francisco.

“Family House is the most generous expression of compassion and hospitality that I’ve experienced in our welcoming city, made possible by an extraordinarily committed staff, board, and community,” said Thompson. “Becoming a leader in this mission is the honor of a lifetime, and I’m grateful for the deep spirit of philanthropy that grounds its past, present, and future.”

Volunteering with SFMOMA led Thompson to professional fundraising roles with MOCA Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University. She cares about LGBTQIA+ causes, and she belongs to the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Early in her career, she held marketing roles with Wells Fargo, Stern Marketing and Charles Schwab, where she learned about building brands and values-based cultures.

Katherine earned a B.A. in Political Science from the University of California at Santa Barbara. She lives in San Rafael with her husband, Jeff, their daughter, Clementine, and their Aussiedoodle, Ohgee.

For more information, please contact: Arleen Bandarrae, Marketing Manager, abandarrae@familyhouseinc.org or 415.650.7422.