Our Community
“When our communities come together, we are stronger.”
Who’s Who
North Star Fund is a growing community of people who work together to move millions of dollars to serve grassroots organizations.
Staff
Staff carry out the day-to-day work of the organization.
Adam Liebowitz, Community Food Funders Director
Angbeen Saleem, Visual Content Manager
Clare Liu, Development Associate
Elz Cuya Jones, Deputy Director
Frangelin Pozo, Program Associate
Gabriela Quintanilla, Hudson Valley Program Officer
Jennifer Ching, Executive Director
Jillian Lane White, Donor Organizer
Jodi Sh. Doff, Operations Manager
Junie François Pswarayi, Finance & Operations Director
Kathleen Pequeño, Communications Director
Kellie Terry, Philanthropy Programs Director
Kofo Anifalaje, Development Director
Leyana Dessauer, Grants Manager
Seun A. Owolabi, Development Manager
Tracy Serdjenian, Storytelling Associate
Board
Board members volunteer their time and talents to provide strategic and fiduciary leadership, governance, and resource mobilization skills to the North Star Fund community.
Alvarez Symonette
Asa Johnson
Candis Tolliver
Christine Parker
David Ryan Alexander
Ejeris Dixon
Gonzalo Mercado-Cisterna
Jennifer Ching, Executive Director
Jennifer Flynn Walker
Kesi Foster
Lisa Steglich
Maggie Williams
Marjorie Fine, Chair
Michael Waterman, Secretary
Natasha Pallan, Treasurer
Pierre Hauser, Vice-Chair
Rosemary Rivera
Sayu Bhojwani
Community Funding Committees (CFCs)
CFC members set the overall grantmaking policy and allocate specific grants for each of the funds. These are the leaders who allocated the grants listed in this report.
Hudson Valley CFC
Callie Mackenzie (through fall 2022)
Diana Sánchez
Emma Kreyche (through fall 2022)
Gemma Calinda
Guisela Marroquín
Maria Ramirez
Sandra Cuellar Oxford
Suzie Ximenez
Let Us Breathe Fund CFC
Abby Dobson
Anthonine Pierre
Callie Mackenzie (through fall 2022)
Christina Samuels
Darian X
Janis Rosheuvel
Kesi Foster
Rae Leiner
Vincent Pierce
New York City CFC
Anisah Sabur
Darnell Benoit
Jamie Tyberg
Kesi Foster
Krystal Portalatin
Leah Obias
Michael Velarde
Prarthana Gurung
Rebecca Bailin
Shu’aib Abdur-Raheem
Our Gala, Our Community
It was wonderful to be together—to be home—at the 2023 North Star Fund Community Gala! What a beautiful, joyous and memorable evening celebrating grassroots movements for justice.
THANK YOU to the nearly 500 people who attended and everyone who was with us in spirit. The night was full of music, dancing, festive attire, flowers and “good gossip” that lifted our spirits and fed our souls.
We were deeply inspired by the speeches from Frederick Douglass Award honorees—La Colmena, Sweet Freedom Farm and the UndocuBlack Network. We learned about the transformative organizing these grantee organizations do every day and cheered them on.
Want to join us for the next Community Gala? Sign up on our website and we’ll be sure to invite you.
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