Summit, NJ — January 30, 2026 — Family Promise, the leading national nonprofit addressing family homelessness, is proud to announce that Harshika Kara recently joined the team as Director of Development–Western Region, a newly created leadership role made possible through a multi-year grant from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust.
“We are deeply grateful to the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust for their confidence in our mission and their partnership in helping us grow our impact,” said Family Promise CEO Cheryl Schuch. “With this investment, Family Promise will help our sites raise the resources they need, strengthen their long-term sustainability, and expand access to services for thousands more children and families.”
Kara brings more than 15 years of nonprofit fundraising and strategic leadership experience to Family Promise. Most recently, she served as Capacity Building Lead at RVC Seattle, partnering with emerging BIPOC-led organizations to strengthen operations, design fundraising strategies, and embed equity-centered planning. Her experience coaching executive leaders and aligning long-term vision with financial sustainability will be a strong asset to Family Promise sites. Earlier in her career, Harshika spent a decade as an independent consultant supporting small and mid-sized nonprofits with strategic planning, donor systems, grant development, and fundraising training. She has led high-impact fundraising efforts and produced compelling donor communications that secured significant philanthropic support.
In her new role, Kara will work closely with Family Promise sites across the Pacific Northwest to provide hands-on fundraising training and strategic support, while also contributing to national fundraising efforts. This work is expected to help Family Promise expand programming to serve more than 5,500 additional families in the region over the next several years.
The M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust’s mission to build capacity in nonprofits driving innovative and sustainable outcomes across the Pacific Northwest closely aligns with Family Promise’s federated model, which empowers staff at local, community-based sites to create lasting pathways to stability and opportunity for children and families.
“The Murdock Trust is honored to support Family Promise’s impactful work helping families with children find stable situations and achieve sustainable independence throughout the region,” says Jeremy White, Senior Program Officer for Civic Engagement & Community Services at the Murdock Trust. “We look forward to seeing the fruit of this investment in their development capacity and how it will strengthen Family Promise’s community impact long-term.”
About Family Promise
Family Promise is the nation’s leading organization focused on preventing and ending family homelessness. With nearly 175 locations nationwide, the organization creates solutions, leverages local assets, and advocates for families facing homelessness. This work creates meaningful impact, reduces community costs, and keeps families together. Since its founding in 1988, Family Promise has served more than 1 million family members. Learn more and get involved at familypromise.org
About the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust
M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, created by the will of the late Melvin J. (Jack) Murdock, provides grants, programs, initiatives, and convenings for nonprofit organizations in five states of the Pacific Northwest—Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington—that seek to strengthen the region’s educational, social, spiritual, and cultural base in creative and sustainable ways.
