Channing R. N. Lenert 

he/him

As senior program officer, Channing Lenert helps lead Polk Bros. Foundation’s grantmaking for the Building Community Wealth Across Generations and Fostering Participatory, Multiracial Democracy goals. He joined the Foundation in 2019 and draws on his experience in fundraising, nonprofit management and cross-sector partnerships to inform the Foundation’s grantmaking and partnerships in ways that expand opportunity and support more equitable outcomes across Chicago. Before joining Polk Bros. Foundation, Channing led foundation and corporate relations at Navy Pier, where he helped support its transformation into a mission-driven cultural district. Earlier in his career, he held development and program roles at Working in the Schools (WITS) and served as an AmeriCorps member with City Year Chicago, where he later served as alumni board chair. He’s been a Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow since 2026 and was a 2019 IMPACT Fellow of the Chicago Urban League and University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Channing serves on the board of directors of Injustice Watch and the advisory board of the African American Legacy Fund at the Chicago Community Trust, and co-chairs the Chicago advisory board of LIFT, Inc.