October 26, 2026
2026 South Carolina 500
Catherine LaCour, CEO and executive director of The Blackbaud Giving Fund, has been named to the 2026 South Carolina 500, SCBiz’s list of the most influential people driving the state’s economy. She is recognized in the Nonprofits and Philanthropy category.
Catherine LaCour stepped into leadership of The Blackbaud Giving Fund after 16 years at Blackbaud, bringing a background in marketing, global business and nonprofit engagement to an organization focused on moving charitable resources efficiently to nonprofits.
LaCour earned a bachelor’s degree in international business from the College of Charleston and an MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management. Her board service includes the Women’s Refugee Commission, Empower Charleston and Lowcountry Equine Assisted Psychotherapy, and she is a Liberty Fellow in the Aspen Institute Global Leadership Network.
She sees trust, transparency and donor confidence as essential as technology changes how people discover causes and make giving decisions. LaCour is particularly interested in using artificial intelligence, digital platforms and data to make philanthropy more accessible and personalized while reducing friction between donors and nonprofits. She defines success by impact and by building strong teams and partnerships. She says some of her most enduring leadership lessons came from working with horses.
