As Executive Director of Kendal Charitable Funds (KCF), Cheryl provides leadership to the Kendal System in the creation and implementation of a philanthropic philosophy that reflects Kendal’s Values and Practices. An important part of that leadership is to support and train Kendal affiliate communities and services in their development activities, to cultivate relationships with foundations, and oversee the writing of grants to obtain funding for both Kendal-wide innovative programs and individual affiliate programs that open new paths in services to older people. Cheryl is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and as such subscribes to its stringent code of ethical principles and standards and the Donor Bill of Rights.

Cheryl Wade comes to Kendal from the American Baptist Churches in the U.S.A. (ABC), headquartered in King of Prussia, PA, where she most recently served as the Associate General Secretary and Treasurer. In that position, Cheryl Wade functioned as the Chief Operating Officer and CFO, and was responsible for the collection, distribution, and accounting for denomination-wide giving of approximately $45 million each year. In recent years, Cheryl has played an increasingly active role in fund raising, particularly with individuals. In her denomination-wide capacity, her role included support for ABC’s worldwide humanitarian relief efforts where she helped raise $8 million for victims of Hurricane Katrina. Cheryl has also been instrumental in helping the denomination restructure how funds are raised and disbursed in order to maximize philanthropic impact at the congregational level. In her prior role as Treasurer of the Ministries and Missionaries Benefit Board, Cheryl managed ABC’s benefit plans which had an endowment portfolio of $400 million during the early 1990’s.

Cheryl, an ordained Baptist minister, earned a B.A. from the College of William and Mary, an M.Div., from Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary, and an MBA, with a concentration in non-profit management and finance, from Columbia University. She holds an Honorary Doctorate from Central Baptist Theological Seminary and is a past recipient of the Joann Martin Award for Public and Non-Profit Management granted by Columbia University. Cheryl was an active member of the World Council of Churches as a member of its Central Committee through February 2006, and is currently a member of the governing board of the National Council of Churches of Christ. She has served in a variety of community based programs including the Northwest Interfaith Movement - an interfaith alliance of 36 congregations in Northwest Philadelphia, Betak AIDS Residence - a community based housing program in Philadelphia for persons with AIDS, and Summerbridge of Germantown, Inc., a two-year academic enrichment program for educationally and economically disadvantaged middle school students.