As Founder and President of Wagner Foundation, Charlotte Wagner leads the organization she established in 2005 guided by her lifelong belief in our shared humanity and the equal value of all people.
The foundation has grown in scope and reach but remains dedicated to building healthier and more vibrant communities by championing art and artists, innovative health organizations, and economic models that work for everyone.
Prior to establishing Wagner Foundation, Charlotte began a career in marketing at Tribune Media Services, Fidelity Investments, and Goldman Sachs. Born and raised in Michigan, Charlotte married a fellow mid-westerner in 1996 and had three children. When returning to work, she pivoted to philanthropy and focused on the inequities she saw within her community of Greater Boston. During that time, she met Dr. Paul Farmer, founder of Partners in Health, and joined the organization’s Board of Directors in 2011, which inspired her to expand Wagner’s funding priorities to include health equity and economic wellbeing internationally. Moved by Partners in Health’s accompaniment approach to healthcare, which honors lived experience and fosters long-term commitment to patients, she decided to apply the same approach to grantmaking.
Charlotte believes that vibrant, healthy communities not only require health and economic wellbeing, but also include art, where artists can be catalysts for social change. These beliefs drive the foundation’s art & culture work which supports the evolution of arts institutions, big and small, and creates opportunities for artists to bring their visions to life and thrive in their communities. This commitment to the foundation’s local arts ecosystem can be seen in the exhibitions at the Wagner Gallery and through the Wagner Arts Fellowship.
Charlotte’s impact on the national arts scene extends beyond her role at the foundation. An acknowledged leader in the arts, Charlotte was appointed and served on President Joseph Biden’s Advisory Committee on the Arts. She’s currently the President of the Board of the Institute of Contemporary Art Boston, and on the Board of VIA Art. Charlotte also contributes as a member of the Tate North American Acquisitions Committee.
Today, a miniature statue of Hank Willis Thomas’ The Embrace sits on the Wagner Foundation office bookshelf — commemorating the transformative power of love and partnership between MLK and Coretta Scott King. To Charlotte, this statue also stands as a reminder of what philanthropy means in the truest sense — a love for humanity.
