Philanthropist Karen Schaufeld Chosen As 2021 Community Leadership Honoree

Philanthropist, author, entrepreneur, and lawyer Karen Schaufeld has been named Community Foundation for Northern Virginia’s 2021 Community Leadership Honoree. The Community Leadership Award is given each year to an individual who is a demonstrated leader with a long history of commitment to supporting the Northern Virginia region through volunteer and community service and charitable giving.

Schaufeld is the president and founder of 100WomenStrong, a group of concerned philanthropists seeking to strategically invest in organizations and programs that enrich the lives of Loudoun County residents. They are committed to improving the quality of life for residents of Loudoun County, Virginia, through strategic grants to non-profits working in the areas of shelter, health, hunger and education. Members of 100WomenStrong connect and collaborate to leverage their philanthropic resources as a component fund of the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties.

“Karen is a strategic and highly effective advocate for the needs of Northern Virginia. Her passion is clearly contagious on behalf of the entire region,” said Eileen Ellsworth, president and CEO, Community Foundation for Northern Virginia.

“It means so much for me to win this award because I have observed other leaders, people I admire receiving the award. It’s never just me. There’s just a whole bunch of people doing a whole lot of great work,” said Schaufeld. “I see a problem and feel like I have to do something about it. It’s like can I actually do something with my time and my resources. Can I actually be effective”?

Karen’s leadership in business, philanthropy, and community activism is well-known throughout the Northern Virginia region.

“I can’t think of anyone who deserves this award more than Karen. I think it’s fair to say she spends a majority of her time thinking about how she can improve the world around her,” Kirsten Langhorne, Langhorne Custom Homes.

The award was presented during Community Foundation’s 2021 Raise the Region Gala on Friday, October 8, 2021, at 7 pm EST. Hosted by NBC4’s Leon Harris, 2021 Raise the Region virtual event is available now for viewing at www.cfnova.org/RaiseTheRegion.