Earlier this year Chris Chin became the president and CEO of the Robins Foundation, a Richmond based family foundation founded in 1957 by E. Claiborne Robins, Sr. of A. H. Robins Company, to enrich Richmond and its surrounding areas.
Chris has devoted his educational and professional career to helping young children and their families. He is a licensed clinical psychologist with his PhD in Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology, including advanced training at Yale University in child psychology. He has led several efforts focused on early childhood education and family literacy, including serving as Co-Director of the Literacy Institute at Virginia Commonwealth University and Director of the Virginia Literacy Foundation, where he developed and oversaw state-wide initiatives focused on early learning and development.
Chris has been with Robins Foundation since 2014, starting as Director, Community Partnerships, leading the foundation’s early childhood-focused grantmaking. He was responsible for developing peer funder collaborations and deep community engagement throughout the Richmond region. From 2018 to 2022, he served as the foundation’s Vice President, Operations and Organizational Development, responsible for team recruitment, strengthening systems and processes, leading professional development, and spearheading evaluation strategies.
Chris is originally from the DC area but has lived in the Richmond area for over 20 years. Chris and his wife have three children, two college students and a high schooler. Chris enjoys running and playing soccer and volleyball, camping and hiking with his family, and hanging with the Robins team and his pickup soccer crew.
Claiborne Robins significantly funded it at his death in 1995. Mr. Robins and his wife, Lora M. Robins, are best remembered for their transforming gifts to the University of Richmond and their lifelong dedication to making Richmond a better place. The couple’s philanthropy reflected a love for the community and family as they built the A.H. Robins Company. Mrs. Robins encouraged this tradition of generosity—through her personal philanthropy and Robins Foundation board service—until her death in 2010. Today’s board, which includes children and grandchildren of the Foundation’s founders, follows their inspiring legacy of philanthropy and grant making.