Julie Captain’s 28-year career in healthcare philanthropy started as a gap-year job that grew into a passion for strategically matchmaking generous individuals with the needs of the organization she serves. As Associate Vice President of Advancement at Shirley Ryan Ability Lab, Julie leads the day-to day operations of a small, high-performing team focused on fundraising for the hospital’s annual needs, including its research, charity care and Quality of Life programs, as well as the organization’s $100 million "Accelerate Ability” campaign. 

Prior to her time at Shirley Ryan Ability Lab, she invested nearly 19 years at Northwestern Medicine in a variety of roles, including Director of Planned Giving at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Director of Development and Planned Giving at Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital, where she co-led their $150 million Our Legacy. Our Future. campaign. She also previously spent time at Shirley Ryan Ability Lab (then the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago) in the early years of the organization’s “Advance Human Ability” campaign. Julie also served as Senior Regional Development Director for Conservation International, a nonprofit that creates healthy, sustainable communities around the world. She rejoined Shirley Ryan Ability Lab’s Advancement team in 2018. 

Julie’s professional forte is in creative gift planning and has been heavily involved with the Chicago Council on Planned Giving. She joined the Board of Directors in 2007 and has participated on numerous committees, including serving as President from 2011–2013. During her tenure, she is most proud of starting the CCPG Scholars Program with her board colleagues, in the hopes that CCPG can enrich the lives and careers of others like it did for her. In 2023, she received the organization’s prestigious Russell V. Kohr Award in recognition of her professional accomplishments and mentorship to others. 

Since leaving a leadership role with CCPG, she has participated in both CCPG and AFP Chicago’s respective mentorship programs. 

Also active in her community, Julie was on the Evanston Community Foundation Board of Directors from 2010–2013 and completed Leadership Evanston in 2011.  She currently serves as Moderator of First Congregational Church of Evanston UCC and plays an active role in its justice/advocacy board. 

Julie is also philanthropically passionate about her local public radio station, WBEZ, The Trevor Project and Lambda Legal. She and her children live in Chicago, IL