Bonnie Hardage
Jesse Parker Williams Foundation
Bonnie Hardage is a mission-driven philanthropic and healthcare executive with more than 25 years of leadership experience advancing health equity, access to care, and community-driven solutions. She brings deep expertise across foundation leadership, fundraising, strategic communications, and nonprofit governance, with a career rooted in strengthening systems that improve outcomes for women, children, and underserved communities.
Bonnie currently serves as Executive Director of the Jesse Parker Williams Foundation, a private health conversion foundation focused on advancing equitable, preventive, and comprehensive healthcare for women and children. In this role, she leads strategy, grantmaking, operations, and investment stewardship, overseeing a $37 million portfolio. Under her leadership, the Foundation embedded a health equity framework across all grantmaking, significantly increasing funding to nonprofit leaders of color and aligning investments with community data and voice.
A recognized leader in behavioral and mental health, Bonnie co-founded Resilient Georgia, a statewide collective impact initiative aligning public and private partners to expand trauma-informed mental health supports for youth and families. The initiative engages more than 400 organizations and 700 leaders across 21 regions, strengthening coordinated access to care and resiliency-building resources.
Previously, Bonnie served as President of the Mercy Care Foundation, supporting the FQHC specifically designated to serve people in homelessness. She guided the organization through a major health system merger and transition to community-supported philanthropy. During her tenure, she increased fundraising by 50 percent, led a $14 million capital campaign—the largest in the organization’s history—and expanded the NE Atlanta clinic capacity four-fold to serve people experiencing homelessness, the working poor, and uninsured families. She also integrated behavioral health into primary care through strategic philanthropy and grant leveraging.
Earlier in her career, Bonnie held senior development leadership roles at the Shepherd Center Foundation and Saint Joseph’s Mercy Foundation, managing major gifts programs and capital campaigns totaling more than $75 million. Her professional foundation in marketing and communications continues to inform her ability to translate complex strategies into clear, compelling narratives that engage boards, donors, and communities.
She is Co-Chair of the Mental Health Funders Collaborative, Steering Committee member of the Georgia Grantmakers Alliance, Core Partner of the Maternal Health Vitality Think Tank, member and past Co-Chair of the Atlanta Regional Collaborative for Health Improvement (ARCHI), and Executive Committee member of Mindworks – Georgia’s System of Care. Her leadership is grounded in collaboration, accountability, and a steadfast commitment to equity-centered, community-informed impact.