SARA MORRIS
Sara Morris has dedicated her career to progressive social change. She co-founded Copper Strategic in 2020 to advise ambitious, mission-driven leaders in non-profit and business on strategy, organizational design, and leadership.
Prior to founding Copper, from 2016–2020, Sara was President of The Beecher’s Foundation. She converted the foundation to a public charity, formed a governing board, raised outside funding, and tripled food and nutrition education programming for youth.
From 2010-2016, Sara served as President and CEO of the Alliance for Education, Seattle’s local education fund and one of the city’s most influential non-profits. In this role, Sara reported to a 30-member Board of Directors, led a 15-member staff, and managed a $5 million annual budget. Bringing together the charitable resources of Seattle’s business and philanthropic community to support 53,000 students in Seattle Public Schools, Sara stewarded the organization as an independent voice and external catalyst for change in urban public education. Of note was Sara’s role in founding the nationally recognized Seattle Teacher Residency (STR). STR is a unique partnership across labor, academia, schools, and community to prepare exceptional young teachers to serve Seattle’s highest-poverty students.
Sara began her career as a communications aide in the White House during the Clinton Administration. After receiving her MBA from Kellogg in 1999, she joined Amazon.com as a marketing group leader. In 2003, she was named one of Seattle’s "40 Under 40” by the Puget Sound Business Journal.
Sara serves on the board of Methow Trails, a fantastic organization connecting people, nature, and communities through the world-class trail system in Washington’s Methow Valley. Previously, she has served on the boards of Impact Public Schools and the Technology Access Foundation and was elected board chair of both. She is an alum of Kellogg’s Leading Change in Nonprofits Executive Education Institute and volunteers with 501 Commons’ Executive Service Corps.
In 2019, Sara competed in Plymouth Housing’s “Dancing with the Stars” auction and fundraiser, dancing the tango in pink sequins (YouTube proof of this exists!).
Sara and her husband have three grown(ish) daughters and live in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle. Sara loves dogs, travel, photography, hiking, Pilates, cross-country skiing, and dinner parties.
