Cooper Coleman Completes National Search for Fund For A Safer Future; Board Appoints Rob Wilcox As President + CEO

CHICAGO, IL – Cooper Coleman LLC today announced the successful completion of a national search for the inaugural President + Chief Executive Officer of Fund for a Safer Future (FSF). The search concluded with the FSF Board’s appointment of Rob Wilcox, a leader in gun violence prevention policy and philanthropy.

Led by Johnny Cooper, Founder + CEO of Cooper Coleman LLC, the search identified Wilcox as the selected candidate to lead FSF through its next phase of organizational growth.

Fund for a Safer Future is a national donor collaborative comprising more than 35 foundations, donor-advised funds, and individual philanthropists committed to reducing firearm injury and death in the United States. Since its founding in 2011, FSF has directly invested more than $25 million in grantmaking, with members contributing over $250 million in aligned giving to advance evidence-informed solutions across the gun violence prevention field.

Wilcox joins FSF following his service as Special Assistant to President Biden and Deputy Director of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, where he helped lead the first-ever federal office dedicated to coordinating national efforts to reduce gun violence. In this role, he supported implementation of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, strengthened partnerships with state and local leaders, and advanced federal actions addressing firearm injury and death.

“Rob Wilcox is the ideal leader to guide Fund for a Safer Future into this next phase,” said Tim Daly, Chair of FSF’s Executive Committee and Senior Advisor to the Joyce Foundation. “His experience at the federal level, combined with his deep relationships across the gun violence prevention movement and his track record of turning policy into results across the full spectrum of firearm injury and death prevention, makes him uniquely qualified to lead us at this next phase of growth.”

Previously, Wilcox served as Senior Director of Federal Government Affairs at Everytown for Gun Safety, where he advised U.S. Senator Chris Murphy during negotiations of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the most significant federal gun safety legislation enacted in nearly three decades. His work in the field is deeply personal, honoring the memory of his cousin Laura, who was killed by gun violence, and inspired by his family’s advocacy.

“I’m honored to build on the strong foundation that Talia Wright and the FSF team have created,” said Wilcox. “I’m excited to help philanthropy turn today’s progress into lasting, life-saving change. For more than twenty years, I’ve seen that real progress happens when communities, researchers, policymakers, health systems, law enforcement, and funders move in the same direction.”

As President + Chief Executive Officer, Wilcox will serve as FSF’s senior executive, overseeing strategy, grantmaking, donor engagement, and operations. He will work closely with the Board, Executive Committee, fund members, and philanthropic partners to strengthen coordination across the field and accelerate impact.

“Rob brings an exceptional combination of national policy expertise, credibility across the field, and a deep commitment to ending this solvable epidemic,” said Johnny Cooper, Founder + CEO of Cooper Coleman LLC. “We were honored to lead this national search and are confident that Rob’s leadership will further strengthen Fund for a Safer Future’s work and partnerships.”

Wilcox begins his role as President + Chief Executive Officer today.

About the Fund for a Safer Future

The Fund for a Safer Future is a national donor collaborative working to reduce gun injuries and deaths in the United States. Through aligned grantmaking, shared learning, and coordinated philanthropy, FSF supports strategies including policy and legal reform, research, communications and narrative change, and field-building efforts across the gun violence prevention movement.

To learn more, visit www.fundforasaferfuture.org/

About Cooper Coleman LLC

Cooper Coleman LLC is a full-service retained executive search firm partnering exclusively with nonprofit organizations, foundations, and research and academic institutions. With headquarters in Chicago, IL, and Cincinnati, OH, the firm supports organizations at pivotal moments by placing the right leaders in the right roles at the right time and strengthening management and fundraising capacity. Cooper Coleman’s diverse client portfolio spans a wide range of social impact areas, including civil rights, health equity, the performing arts, adoption and foster care, LGBTQ+ advocacy, and tech for good. The firm is regarded for its collaborative approach, sector expertise, and commitment to building leadership teams that align with each organization’s mission and priorities. Founded by Johnny Cooper, Cooper Coleman is ranked among the Top 65 Nonprofit Executive Search Firms by Hunt Scanlon and among the Top 250 Executive Search Firms nationally. The firm’s experienced team of consultants is dedicated to delivering high-quality, values-aligned search services across the social impact sector.

For more information on Cooper Coleman LLC, visit their website at www.coopercoleman.com and find them on LinkedIn: ww.linkedin.com/company/coopercoleman.