Allison Winter joined the Community Foundation of East Central Illinois as President and CEO in January 2024, bringing more than 20 years of experience in philanthropy, relationship-building, and community investment. A Champaign County native with deep roots across the region (her parents hail from Iroquois and Ford Counties), Allison’s connection to East Central Illinois is both personal and professional.

A University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign alumna with degrees from the College of ACES and the School of Labor and Employment Relations, Allison draws on a uniquely collaborative, systems-minded approach to leadership, one focused on breaking down silos and convening diverse voices around shared community priorities.

Before joining CFECI, Allison spent her career aligning donor interests with institutional impact, including front-line fundraising at The Grainger College of Engineering and the College of ACES. She brings that same donor-centric, relationship-driven philosophy to CFECI’s nine-county region, stewarding resources, deepening partnerships, and growing the foundation’s capacity to transform generosity into lasting community impact for generations to come.

Caitlyn Kurtz (she/her) serves as the Director of the Center for Nonprofit Excellence at the Community Foundation of East Central Illinois, where she works alongside nonprofit leaders, emerging founders, and community changemakers to build stronger, more sustainable organizations across the region. Caitlyn brings a diverse background in community organizing, collective impact, strategic planning, and organizational development. Since stepping into her role at CFECI, Caitlyn has grown the Center for Nonprofit Excellence into a hub for nonprofit education, collaboration, and capacity-building. She facilitates trainings, workshops, and peer learning opportunities — and consults directly with nonprofits at every stage of their development. Her goal is to provide nonprofits with the clarity, direction, and tools they need to grow and sustain meaningful impact. Caitlyn earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Northern Illinois University and her Master of Arts in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. In her free time, she enjoys reading, painting, watching Bravo, and spending quality time with her husband and two cats.

Kristen Duesdieker serves as the Finance and Operations Director at the Community Foundation of East Central Illinois. She joined CFECI in October 2013 as the Grants and Scholarships Manager, bringing eight years of experience from the Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin. Over the course of her tenure, her contributions grew far beyond her original scope encompassing financial operations, compliance, day-to-day administration, and organizational infrastructure. She remains the institutional backbone of CFECI, ensuring the Foundation runs with the accuracy, integrity, and care its donors and community partners deserve. A Springfield native, Kristen lives in Mahomet with her husband, Bart, where they are proud parents of two adult children and remain active members of the community.