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Riley Children’s Foundation, amid its largest ever fundraising campaign, on Thursday named local philanthropic leader Courtney Roberts as its new president and CEO.
Roberts, most recently president of the Ivy Tech Foundation, starts her position with the Indianapolis-based Riley Foundation on Sept. 2. The native Hoosier also worked as executive director of the Lilly Foundation, the charitable arm of Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Co.
“Courtney is a visionary and strategic leader who has a strong record of building coalitions to address some of Indiana’s biggest challenges,” Dr. Cory Martinson, chair of the Riley Children’s Foundation board, said in written remarks. “We’re confident she’ll bring that same approach to Riley Children’s Foundation as we look to grow Riley’s nationally ranked programs and put in place meaningful solutions to issues like the youth mental health crisis, a looming shortage of pediatric specialists, and health care disparities.”
The foundation raises money for Riley Children’s Health and Riley-affiliated pediatric research programs at Indiana University School of Medicine and granted more than $48 million in the fiscal year that ended June 30. It had more than $469 million in net assets as of 2023.
Riley Children’s Health is Indiana University Health’s pediatric system and has more than 50 locations across the state, including the 456-bed pediatric acute care Riley Hospital, which was founded in 1924 and was named for Indianapolis poet James Whitcomb Riley.
Riley Children’s Foundation is the founding organization that opened Riley Hospital for Children more than 100 years ago.
The foundation’s previous CEO, Elizabeth A. Elkas, retired at the end of last year after five years in the position, according to the foundation. The foundation said members of the leadership team have been taking care of CEO responsibilities since then and would continue to do so until Roberts starts on Sept. 2. Elkas received more than $516,000 in compensation in 2023, according to the foundation’s latest 990 form.
In March, the foundation launched a $300 million campaign, called “Every Child Deserves Riley,” the largest fundraising drive in Riley Children Health’s history. The formal announcement came after the foundation said it quietly raised the majority of the money, more than $200 million, in the campaign’s initial phase.
According to the Riley Foundation, Roberts raised $340 million while at the Ivy Tech Foundation in the community college system’s first-ever statewide campaign.
A graduate of Butler University and the IU McKinney School of Law, Roberts is pursuing a doctorate in philanthropic leadership from the Indiana University Lilly School of Philanthropy.
“I look forward to working alongside our donors, the corporate community, and civic leaders to leverage philanthropy to address the most pressing needs in children’s health and drive innovations in pediatric care,” she said in written remarks.
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