Laila Bell joined The Skillman Foundation in March 2023 as the inaugural vice president of learning & impact. In this role, Laila designs the Foundation’s approach to using data, evidence, and experience to inform investments in the power of Detroit youth to create and influence change. Laila works with the team to foster a learning culture where the voices of youth, grant partners, and the community inform ongoing work and drive grantmaking efforts to achieve greater impact.  

Laila previously held positions at The Duke Endowment and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, where she advanced and supported the continuous improvement of grantmaking and strategy employment. Laila also served as the director of research and data at NC Child, a nonprofit that advances public policies to improve the well-being of children and youth. In that role, she led the North Carolina KIDS COUNT project and collaborated with partners to design and launch several policy and systems change initiatives, including the North Carolina Health Equity Impact Assessment and NC Pathways to Grade-Level Reading. 

Laila earned a master’s from the University of Texas at Austin Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs and a bachelor’s with a double major in psychology and political science from Winthrop University. She is a member of the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Child Advocacy Leadership Network. Currently, Laila serves on the Project Team of Building Movement Project, a national organization working to build capacity within the nonprofit sector to promote social justice. Laila previously served on the Youth Empowered Solutions (YES!) board of directors.  

A South Carolina native, Laila enjoys expressing her creativity as an amateur potter, avid reader, and live music enthusiast. 

Laila Bell

“Data Strategy for Nonprofit Impact – A Conversation with Laila Bell and Dr. Yvonne Ferguson”

In today's climate, nonprofit leaders need more than data collection—they need a strategy for turning that data into a compelling story of impact, one that strengthens funder relationships and reflects the true value of their work. This panel brings together Laila Bell, Vice President of Learning & Impact at The Skillman Foundation, and Dr. Yvonne Ferguson, Chief Research, Learning and Evaluation Officer at the Kauffman Foundation, an expert in community-engaged research, program evaluation, and data-informed strategy, for a candid conversation on what it really takes to measure and communicate impact. Together, they'll offer practical guidance on collecting meaningful data, using it to tell your organization's story, and building a data strategy grounded in the realities nonprofit leaders face today.