Karen Forst brings nearly 10 years of grant writing, fundraising and board development experience to the Laura Bishop Communications team. Karen’s extensive experience in grant writing and administration - a history of submitting 35-40 grants annually, with an approximate 80% grant approval rate – adds a new dimension to LBC’s services.
Prior to joining LBC in 2014, Karen spent eight years with the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary (PDE), as the Director of Institutional Giving; she previously was the organization’s Development Director. She also coordinated fundraising events, individual giving campaigns, and donor recognition programs; developed corporate sponsorships and partnerships; and provided board development training.
Previously, Karen was with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), where she was a watershed education and outreach coordinator, advancing to a principal environmental specialist, for the Bureau of Environmental Analysis and Restoration, at the Division of Watershed Management.
Karen holds an MS in Environmental Science from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, and a BS in Environmental Studies from Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. Karen lives in the Clarksboro section of East Greenwich with her husband and two children. She is a member of the Witches of East Greenwich, a group of over 200 amazing women who paddle in the Philadelphia International Dragonboat Festival and raise money for local charities. In her free time she also enjoys baking and spending time with family and friends.