Yali Lincroft is a Vice President in Whittier Trust’s Philanthropic Services department, where she provides dedicated philanthropic advisement and program management to one of our large clients, the Walter S. Johnson Foundation.
Yali brings to Whittier Trust over 20 years of experience in nonprofit children’s policy and program services. Prior to joining Whittier Trust, Yali was a senior policy consultant for several regional and national foundations and served as senior staff at the Mayor’s Office in San Francisco. Yali published many academic and policy reports and authored state legislation. She is the founding member of several co-funding efforts, including the Nevada Foster Youth Success Initiative, the California College Pathways Initiative, and the San Francisco Legal Services Funders Network.
Yali received her MBA from the University of California at Davis and her BA in history with honors from the University of California at Berkeley. She is an active volunteer in her community and was a board member for the Children’s Campaign Fund of Washington and the National Association of Counsel for Children.
Ms. Lincroft has received recognition for her leadership, including the 2024 John Burton Advocate for Youth Champion of the Year, the 2024 California Association of Local Conservation Corps Partner of the Year, the 2018 Bernard Osher Philanthropist of the Year from the Network of California Community College Foundations, the 2018 Council on Foundation/HUD Public Private Partnership Award, and the 2013 White House Champion for Change award.