Blue Shield of California Foundation welcomes senior program officer, Carolina Morales

Morales brings extensive experience in community health and gender justice advocacy, and will lead domestic violence prevention grantmaking, policy and systems change efforts

SAN FRANCISCO (Sept. 26, 2023) — Blue Shield of California Foundation announced today the appointment of Carolina Morales to the role of senior program officer to oversee the overall strategy, design, and management of the Foundation’s programs to end domestic violence.

“Carolina’s collective work experience and leadership skills align perfectly with our Foundation’s strategic mission to prevent domestic violence through a multigenerational approach that integrates racial, gender, and economic equity,” said Lucia Corral Peña, chief program officer at Blue Shield of California Foundation. “Her leadership will help us cultivate and support community-driven solutions and policy changes that can break the cycle of domestic violence in our state.”

Morales is a proven leader in the domestic violence prevention space, with a career spanning public service, policy advocacy, and nonprofit roles in California. Prior to joining the Foundation, Morales served in multiple roles at the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office, most recently as the violence prevention and strategic engagement director. There, she established a community advisory committee for a new Crimes Against Workers Unit, designed and co-created a regional coalition to address human trafficking impacting Latino immigrant youth, and investigated alternatives to incarceration for gender-based violence survivors. 

This new appointment builds on Morales’ fellowship at the Zellerbach Family Foundation, where she identified grantmaking opportunities to change behavioral health, foster care, and criminal justice systems. Prior to that, she was a legislative director at the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, where she advanced systems change in support of violence prevention and racial and gender equity.

As senior program officer, Morales will lead the Foundation’s Break the Cycle of Domestic Violence team, implementing grantmaking, policy, and systems change efforts to advance the Foundation’s mission. She will oversee key program strategies and the development of new opportunities and partnerships to improve the lives of the Californians — specifically people of color in communities with low incomes — who are most affected by domestic violence and health inequities. 

“My career and my passions align completely with the Foundation’s belief that domestic violence and inequities in health are the result of entrenched, systemic issues — namely gender and economic inequity, and racism,” said Morales. “At the Foundation, I look forward to working toward systems change to addresses the root causes of these challenges by bringing my understanding of funding models, public agencies, and the power of community engagement.”

Morales received her bachelor’s degree and her master’s of social welfare from the University of California, Berkeley. She has presented extensively on the topics of gender and violence at national and state-level conferences. 

About Blue Shield of California Foundation

Blue Shield of California Foundation supports lasting and equitable solutions to make California the healthiest state and end domestic violence. When we work together to remove the barriers to health and well-being, especially for Californians most affected, we can create a more just and equitable future. For more information, visit blueshieldcafoundation.org, sign up for our newsletter Intersections, and please join us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.