Kennedy Loftin

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

ABOUT KENNEDY LOFTIN

Kennedy was born in Houston, grew up in Texas, and after experiencing negative reactions following coming out to his religious community and family, he decided to channel his activism into nonprofit development impacting underserved communities, especially the LGBTQ+ communities. Kennedy began his career at Best Buddies Texas, an organization that serves people with intellectual disabilities, and became the Director of Special Events for Miami-based Best Buddies International. In 2006, Kennedy returned home to Houston to serve as Executive Director for Best Buddies Texas. Kennedy became the Chief Development Officer for Interfaith Ministries in 2008. During his tenure, he led a $15 million capital campaign for the new Interfaith Conference Center and for the construction of the Meals on Wheels building which serves 5,300+ seniors daily. Kennedy now works at his dream job as the Donor Relations Officer at the Montrose Center, one of the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ resource centers and has recently completed the $27.5M campaign to biuld the nation\'s largest, LGBTQ+ affirming senior housing center in the nation at the time of construction. In response to Hurricane Harvey, Kennedy launched the LGBTQ Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund which raised $2.3 million to help the LGBTQ+ communities recover from the disaster. In the wake of the COVID pandemic, Kennedy led a fund that raised $2.6M in funds focused on providing direct financial assistance to vulnerable members of the LGBTQ+ communities. Kennedy is one of the founding member of Houston Mayor Sylvestor Turner’s LGBTQ Advisory Board, has served on several boards, and is a sought-after development educator and leader in the industry, with guest teaching at Rice University, Glasscock School Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership, and the University of Houston.