Tené Traylor is the former vice president for nonprofits and philanthropy and  former vice president for the Research to Action Lab at the Urban Institute. She brings national expertise in place-based philanthropy, training and technical assistance, racial equity, wealth building, and civic leadership, with a focus on the American South, where she has honed a distinguished career in the nonprofit and philanthropic sector. Traylor joined Urban after concluding her tenure at The Kendeda Fund, where she oversaw several grantmaking portfolios totaling more than $60 million.

Before joining Kendeda, Traylor was a senior program officer at the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta. She led community development and neighborhood transformation grantmaking (including the Neighborhood Fund) for 10 years, launched several related programs and initiatives, and helped transform the foundation’s grantmaking approach from programmatic to general or core support. She has also held management positions with the United Way of Greater Atlanta and the Zeist Foundation Inc. 

Traylor holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Georgia State University and a master of public administration degree in public policy and nonprofit administration from the University of Georgia. She also has an executive certificate in nonprofit entrepreneurial leadership from Babson College.