As Vice President of Communications, Stefan Lanfer shapes how Barr uses its voice and brings people together to tell the story of the Foundation’s mission and work, to recognize the leadership and impact our grantee partners have in communities, and to propel the ideas that help people realize their ambitions and fulfill their potential. Joining Barr in 2008, Stefan served in a variety of roles related to strategy, knowledge management, and communications, until his appointment in 2014 as Barr’s first communications director and, in 2026, vice president.
Stefan currently serves on the board of Philanthropy Massachusetts, and he is a former board member (and chair) of The Communications Network. His writings on communications, philanthropy, and leadership have been published by Stanford Social Innovation Review, BoardSource, Change Agent, and The Foundation Review.
Outside of Barr and philanthropy, Stefan is a singer-songwriter, playwright, past president of the nonprofit Playwrights’ Platform, and 2015 Massachusetts Cultural Council Artist Fellow for his play, “An Education in Prudence.” Stefan holds an M.B.A. from MIT and a BA from Dartmouth College. For the 2021-22 school year, Stefan taught at Evelyn Hone College in Lusaka, Zambia, as a US Fulbright Scholar.
