Fran Hutchins (she/her or they/them), who also goes by "Hutch", is the Executive Director at Equality Federation, where she has worked on the ground since 2012 to build strong organizations, develop tailored strategies, and create data-driven solutions to meet the needs of our movement.

Hutch’s career has focused on building a strong progressive movement that changes the way we approach some of our most pressing social problems: poverty, homelessness, education, economic inequality, and discrimination.

Fran first got connected to Headwaters when they moved to Minnesota at the beginning of the pandemic and at the height of the uprising after the murder of George Floyd. She and her wife felt it was a crucial time to invest in their new community, but they weren’t yet familiar with the landscape of organizations working for change in ways that aligned with our values. On the advice of a friend, they turned to Headwaters to learn how to best direct our giving for immediate impact. Since then Hutch has learned more about the organization and is eager to support its growth through their role on the board.

Fran completed her MBA and Masters of Public Policy and Public Administration at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Fran grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, and now lives in Minneapolis with her wife and their orange cat, Oscar Wilde, and fluffy dog, Otis.