Karen Baker

Karen is a senior non-profit executive with more than 15 years of major gift fundraising and philanthropy in the health, education, and arts sectors.

​She has been with Barbara May Foundation since 2024, working closely with Medical Director, Dr Andrew Browning AM and the Board. She has worked to move the organisation from a family charity to a mid-size Australian not-for-profit. In 2025, she worked with the Board to develop a Five-Year Strategic Plan for 2026-2030, has onboarded a team of five and built an increasing trend of philanthropic engagement and income, year-on-year, to support BMF’s impact with maternal healthcare. Also, importantly, she has fostered closer cross-team working relationships with our hospital partners in East Africa. ​

​Karen has held senior development and philanthropy roles at the University of Sydney and Hunter Medical Research Institute, along with board leadership roles across a range of Australian NFPs, building sustainable funding models and engaging major donors, trusts, and foundations. ​

​She completed a Global Executive MBA with an “Excellence in Not-For-Profit Scholarship” in 2013 and the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) program in 2022.​

​Her career reflects a consistent commitment to mission-led leadership, ethical governance, and leveraging philanthropy and partnerships to create lasting impact.​

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