Irene Cooper-Basch
Irene Cooper-Basch serves as the Executive Officer and Secretary of the Board for the Victoria Foundation, a private grantmaking institution in New Jersey, with assets of $240 million. She served as a Program Officer with Victoria for four years prior to becoming the Executive Officer, following a six-year stint at the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey. Both of these foundations have a strong grantmaking focus on the city of Newark, New Jersey. In addition, Victoria Foundation allocates 10 percent of its grantmaking resources, approximately $1 million per year, to support the environment and to preserve open space throughout New Jersey.
Irene has spent the past 25 years working in the nonprofit sector. She is an active member of the Newark Council on Family Success, the Executive Board of the Committee of Advocates for Newark's Children, the Local Advisory Committee of Greater Newark LISC, and the Council of Trustees at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. As a former Peace Corps volunteer, Irene taught English, mathematics, and drama to middle school children in Botswana, Africa.
Irene holds a Bachelor's degree from New York University, a Master's degree from Drew University. Ms. Cooper-Basch resides in Montclair, New Jersey with her husband and two teenage children. In her spare time she enjoys playwriting.