Barbara Lacker Ware, Senior Development Fellow

In July 2025, Barbara Lacker-Ware became Senior Development Fellow at Woodstock Institute after she retired from serving four years as Director of Development & Communications. As a Fellow, Barbara assists the development and communications department in special projects.

Barbara joined Woodstock as Development Director in 2021; in that role she planned and implemented comprehensive fundraising strategies to support Woodstock Institute’s mission, research, data analysis and advocacy campaigns. Barbara led proposal design, development and reporting for grant-funded programs, cultivated and managed funder relationships, coordinated Woodstock’s annual event, and collaborated with community partners.

In 2023, Barbara’s title changed to Director of Development & Communications, supervising the new position of Communications Associate. She oversaw the implementation of strategies to advance the organization’s research and policy advocacy work with external audiences including the news media, consumer and advocacy organizations, and community leaders, funders, and members of professional and business groups.

During her previous decades working with several nonprofit organizations in Rochester, NY, and Chicago, IL, Barbara has served in the roles of Development Director and Grant Coordinator to support housing, health, and education programs. Over her career, she has raised millions of dollars from government sources, private foundations, corporations and individuals to support the mission of nonprofit organizations.

Barbara currently volunteers with organizations working toward economic justice, protecting our rights and freedoms as a democracy, and protesting authoritarianism. She has been very involved in racial justice and anti-racism work and was named Activist of the Year by Metro Justice in 2017 for her efforts to establish a Police Accountability Board in Rochester, NY. Barbara holds a Master of Divinity degree from Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School and a Bachelors’ degree from the University of Michigan.