Belleville, Ill. (Oct. 20, 2026) Caritas Family Solutions Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Melinda Dall will retire January 3, 2027 after a 43-year career, having spent her last ten years at the social services agency. She began as a financial analyst and quickly transitioned to CFO within the first few years at Caritas.
“Melinda’s impact on Caritas extends far beyond the numbers,” Caritas Chief Development Officer Ashlee Lambert said. “For a decade, she has been a trusted leader, a dedicated colleague, and a passionate champion of our mission. Her thoughtful stewardship has helped ensure that we can continue serving individuals and families who need us most, while also investing in the employees who make that work possible. Melinda leads with both expertise and heart, and her commitment to this organization shines through in everything she does. We are deeply grateful for her years of service and the strong legacy she leaves behind.”
Dall said she is proud of the work she and her team have accomplished throughout the years as they worked to achieve and maintain a low overhead rate compared to nonprofit standards along with nearly 80% of expenses going toward employee compensation and foster parent payments.
“My job has always been to make sure our financial decisions strengthen the mission and that every dollar we stewarded is really about expanding the impact for the people we serve,” she said.
Dall compared her role to a backstage crew member, enabling staff to focus on Caritas’ mission without financial worries, and trusting that her team was there for support.
“Financial stability is paramount and I am very proud of the work we have done – our audits have always received the highest scores/opinions and through the years we have built strong reserves, which enable Caritas to fulfill its mission for many years to come,” Dall said. “None of this work happens alone and I have been fortunate to have a great team that cares deeply about doing things the right way with a high level of integrity. I am also grateful for our board and leadership team who have been incredible partners in building long-term stability. I am also very grateful for the opportunity to serve the mission of Caritas.”
Before her time at Caritas, Dall spent most of her career in the for-profit world working for The Boeing Company and CliftonLarsonAllen. While she found her prior work rewarding, she has always been passionate about the nonprofit sector.
“Caritas’ mission is what really drew me to the organization, and my focus has always been on making financial decisions that strengthen and support that mission,” Dall said. “I’ve always had a passion to support causes I love. From my very first day, I felt very good about the work we were doing. When you can get up and know you’re doing something for the greater good, it changes your perspective.”
Throughout the years, Dall has seen immense growth within the organization, noting Caritas’ merger with Human Support Services in late 2025 has set the company up for future success and the ability to serve more people. She hopes to leave the next CFO with strong processes and systems in place so they can seamlessly continue the progress the organization has made, and she feels the timing is right as the organization is in a strong financial position.
Dall’s retirement plans consist of traveling and spending time with her family and friends. She plans to remain involved with Caritas through volunteer work and serve as a part-time consultant for other nonprofits along with maintaining her position on various non-profit boards.
