Anna Johnson
Anna is Director of Development at Pathways Community Trust, where she is building the fundraising and partnerships strategy for a new model of education and employability support for young people with special educational needs and disabilities who are at risk of not being in education, employment or training.
She began her career in higher education fundraising at the University of Oxford and University of Exeter, raising major gifts for education and research, before moving into system-level strategic partnerships in health and care through her work at Health Innovation South West, working across the NHS, academia, and industry.
Her work is grounded in a commitment to social justice — particularly for young people who are too often overlooked or excluded by existing systems. She is focused on how philanthropy can go beyond sustaining organisations, helping to reshape systems so that they work for those who need them most.
Favourite Leadership Quote
"Leadership requires two things: a vision of the world that does not yet exist and the ability to communicate it." Simon Sinek
I applied to the Elischer Foundation because I’m working on an ambitious plan to scale an educational model that addresses a profound unmet need for young people who are not well served by existing systems. We want to change how education is delivered and prepare young people for a lifetime of meaningful employment - and we can only do this by forging game-changing philanthropic and strategic partnerships. To do that well, I need to grow deliberately as a leader. I’m looking for challenge, perspective, and the opportunity to learn from brilliant people who have built organisations that endure.