AuguryOREF Names Erika DeLeon Vice President for Innovation and Partnerships
This article was written by the Augury Times
OREF brings Erika DeLeon into executive leadership on Dec. 3, 2025
On Dec. 3, 2025, OREF announced that Erika DeLeon will join its executive leadership team as vice president for innovation and partnerships. The appointment takes effect immediately and places DeLeon in charge of the foundation’s work to build new collaborations, develop pilot programs and expand its grant portfolio.
The organization said DeLeon will report to the CEO and lead the teams that scout ideas, design partnership models and manage strategic grants. The hire follows a long internal search and comes as the foundation prepares for a planned leadership change in the vice president role.
From partnerships manager to senior leader: DeLeon’s professional background
Erika DeLeon joins OREF after a career spent building cross-sector partnerships and running innovation programs for mission-driven organizations. She has led teams that connected nonprofits, academic researchers and corporate partners to test new program models and scale successful pilots.
DeLeon is known for a hands-on approach: designing small tests, measuring results, and using evidence to refine programs before wider rollout. Colleagues describe her as a pragmatic organizer who balances relationship-building with a clear focus on outcomes.
Her experience includes managing multi-stakeholder initiatives, negotiating partnership agreements and overseeing grant portfolios. She also brings experience in fundraising strategy and in setting up framework agreements that speed grant decisions while protecting program quality.
That mix of program design, operational know-how and relationship management is what OREF highlighted when announcing the hire. The organization said DeLeon’s background fits its current priorities: experimenting with new program forms, strengthening partners’ capacity, and finding leverage points where modest grants can unlock larger public or private funding.
Dan J. Krupp retires — transition plans and how the handoff will work
The appointment coincides with the planned retirement of Dan J. Krupp, who has served as vice president for innovation and partnerships. OREF said Krupp will step away from day-to-day duties in the coming weeks and will work with DeLeon during an overlap period to transfer institutional knowledge and introduce key partners.
OREF described the handoff as phased: Krupp will remain available for an agreed transition period to ensure continuity on active grants and partnerships while DeLeon assumes leadership of new initiatives. The organization emphasized that staff, grantees and partners should see a steady, managed change rather than abrupt disruption.
What DeLeon’s hire likely means for OREF’s priorities
Bringing in a leader focused on innovation and partnerships signals that OREF plans to push further into collaborative, experiment-driven grant-making. Expect more emphasis on pilot projects, multi-partner consortia and deals that pair foundation dollars with outside funding to amplify impact.
DeLeon’s track record suggests OREF may increase resources for testing program ideas at a small scale and for building the metrics needed to make decisions about expanding successful models. That approach could speed the foundation’s ability to move from one-off grants to repeatable programs that attract government or corporate co-investment.
Operationally, her appointment may also mean a stronger focus on partnership infrastructure: clearer templates for agreements, dedicated staff for partner management, and more formal processes for evaluating joint projects. For local and regional partners, that could translate into simpler application processes and clearer expectations for outcomes and reporting.
At a time when many foundations are balancing constrained budgets with rising demand from communities, OREF’s move toward partnership-led strategies may be a bid to stretch its dollars further and to share risk with other funders and implementers.
About OREF — what the organization does and why this change matters
OREF describes itself as a foundation focused on research and education funding, supporting projects that advance learning, community outcomes and applied research. It typically funds a mix of program grants, capacity-building awards and collaborative initiatives that bring together universities, nonprofits and public agencies.
This leadership change comes as the foundation navigates a shifting funding landscape and looks for ways to deliver measurable results while working with limited resources. Elevating a leader whose job is to forge partnerships and to run disciplined pilot work fits that strategy: it moves OREF toward a model that prizes leverage and learning.
For grantees and partners, the most immediate effect will likely be a clearer point of contact for innovation work and a promise of more structured support for joint projects. For the foundation itself, DeLeon’s role will be a test of whether partnership-driven grant-making can produce repeatable, scalable outcomes that justify further investment.
In short, the appointment is small news in structure but potentially big in signal: OREF is placing a premium on collaboration and experimentation as it looks to shape its next chapter of funding and impact.
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