Laura Ducceschi

Laura Ducceschi has been president and chief executive officer of the Scranton Area Community Foundation (SAF) since 2012. She manages over 320 charitable funds and four foundations with more than $90 million in total assets and oversees the SAF’s philanthropic asset development, which has provided more than $30 million through the years to support charitable causes in northeastern Pennsylvania.

Ducceschi has spearheaded many initiatives, including the Center for Community Leadership and Nonprofit Excellence; NEPA Moves; Women in Philanthropy; NEPA Thrives; the NEPA Animal Welfare Collaborative; the Careers in Care health workforce program; and NEPA Gives, a 24-hour regional giving day.

Ducceschi has received the Executive Mentorship Award from the Allan P. Kirby Center at Wilkes University in 2018, the Excellence in Diversity Award from Penn State Scranton in 2019, the Founder’s Award from Meals on Wheels of NEPA in 2022, and the ATHENA Leadership Award from the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce in 2023. She was also recognized by City & State Pennsylvania as a member of the 2022 Pennsylvania Nonprofit Power 100. Ducceschi serves as a member of the Geisinger Advisory Board, a trustee on the Scranton Life Board, and a board member of the Estate Planning Council of Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Ducceschi has an M.B.A. in organizational management from Drexel University’s Lebow College of Business, a master’s degree in communication from the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, and a bachelor’s degree in communication from the University of Scranton, from which she graduated summa cum laude. She completed her Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP) certification and is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE). She also holds certificates in change management from Cornell University, design thinking from Harvard Extension School, executive presence and influence from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and nonprofit board governance from BoardSource.