Clotilde Pérez-Bode Dedecker

Internationally recognized as a leader in philanthropy, Clotilde Perez-Bode Dedecker is a consultant to foundations. In December of 2022 she completed her service as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. An innovative and visionary leader, she is committed to advancing community-level change through her consulting practice.

During her 17-year tenure at the Community Foundation working with individuals, families, foundations and organizations to steward their charitable assets, the Community Foundation grew from $150 million in assets to more than $870 million. Clotilde led this growth through the Community Foundation’s strategy to create transformational community level change on behalf of the clients who chose to support this work. The Community Foundation brings together community partners to advance significant change including Say Yes Buffalo, Greater Buffalo Racial Equity Roundtable and the WNY Impact Investment Fund, to name a few. Seen as a changemaker, Clotilde’s work attracted more than $100 million to Western New York to support these collective efforts.

Clotilde served on the US Generosity Commission – a blue-ribbon national panel focused on nurturing giving and volunteering. Her recent board service has included FSG and the Global Fund for Community Foundations. Clotilde is a past board chair of Candid. Candid is widely considered the premier source for philanthropic giving and social sector information. She is president emeritus of the Association of Junior Leagues International and the National Women’s Hall of Fame.

In recognition of her civic sector expertise, Clotilde was appointed to the White House Council on Service and Civic Participation and named co-chair of the U.S. Committee of the United Nations International Year of the Volunteer. She speaks frequently about the role of philanthropy, community impact and nonprofit governance. She has presented at international philanthropic forums including the U.S. Partnership on Mobility from Poverty Summit supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in Washington, D.C. the Asia Forum on Philanthropy for Better Cities in Hong Kong, the Global Summit on Community Foundations in Johannesburg and the Eastern European Community Foundations Forum on Ukrainian Diaspora in Bucharest.

For her contributions, Clotilde has received numerous honors and awards, including accolades from the Points of Light Foundation, the NYS Governor’s Award for Service, the US President’s Award for Service and The Buffalo News Citizen of the Year Award. She was inducted into the WNY Business Hall of Fame in 2024 and was named the 2018 Buffalo Niagara Executive of the Year by the University at Buffalo School of Management. She has also received the Dean’s Service Award from the State University of New York at Buffalo Graduate School of Education and the Canisius University Distinguished Citizen Award. An alumna of both institutions, Clotilde received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Canisius University and Master of Arts degree in Education from the State University of New York at Buffalo. She is a naturalized U.S. citizen and a native of Cuba.