PACF Board Member Spotlight
Meet Miriam Yupanqui
For Miriam Yupanqui, Palo Alto Community Fund (PACF) board member, being engaged and serving in the community where she lives and works has always been a priority. A lover of traveling and a mother of two, she enjoys attending community events and introducing her children to new and exciting ways to volunteer.
Born and raised in East Palo Alto, Miriam always knew that she would return back to her hometown after going away for college. But she never would have guessed that it would be her role at the East Palo Alto City Attorney's office that would draw her back and rekindle her connection with community volunteer work.
While working at the City Attorney’s office, Miriam was introduced to the organization Nuestra Casa, where she soon became a board member and has now served as the executive director for the past seven years.
“I’m really excited to be in a leadership role, and in a position where I'm able to directly impact the community by offering direct services and resources.”
As a PACF grantee, Miriam learned firsthand how PACF serves as an important pillar in the Palo Alto community—hosting events that facilitate donor connections and visibility for different nonprofits in the area. Attending PACF’s grantee events over the years gave her the opportunity to learn more about the organization and led her to join the board to expand her community work outside of Nuestra Casa.
“I was really inspired by how I could continue to bring visibility for Nuestra Casa and the community as a whole of East Palo Alto to potential new donors. People who live across the freeway in Palo Alto are interested in getting involved in volunteering opportunities at the local level, but don't necessarily know what organization to go to,” says Miriam. “PACF really connects donors, particularly individual donors, to those organizations through the different grantee events and the different engagement opportunities.”
Miriam’s extensive community volunteer background provides a fresh perspective, and she shares stories and experiences she’s had with grantees to help the board better understand their work and needs.
“I have interacted and worked with many of the grantees directly. I've gotten to know their work, their staff, and their values. For me, when it comes to the grant-making process, I'm able to bring in that perspective that maybe other board members may not have had a chance to do.”
Miriam’s goal for our local community is to become a strong, thriving part of Palo Alto. Not just a place that looks nice from the outside, but a place where the people who live and work in it actively participate in the betterment of the space—coming together to connect and discuss the challenges the community is facing head-on.
That commitment to bringing people together also shapes Miriam’s work with PACF. As a member of the Community Engagement Committee, she helps inform how PACF connects with and supports local nonprofits. PACF’s Rise & Shine program is/was one example. Miriam helped shape the event as a chance for local nonprofits to come together, reconnect, and feel inspired.
“One of my most recent highlights was being a part of the Rise & Shine event, where we were able to bring in Pastor Bains and talk about the different challenges going on at the community level,” she shares. “But more than anything, it was just an opportunity to bring all the grantees together, inspire everyone, and really provide this sense of hope and belonging. I feel that the messaging was right on point. Even though there's a lot of uncertainty for many of the local nonprofits, this idea of hope continues to inspire us, and I thought that many grantees walked away just feeling more hopeful.”
One of PACF’s strengths is a board whose members bring unique perspectives and deep connections across the communities we serve. Miriam has long chosen to invest her time and leadership in the community she calls home, and we are fortunate that she has chosen to bring that same commitment to PACF. Her firsthand knowledge of local organizations, community needs, and the people doing the work every day strengthens our grantmaking, helps us listen more closely, and makes us a better partner to the communities we serve.
Help us keep that hope alive and create a thriving, collaborative, and just local communities committed to compassion, generosity, and opportunity for all. To learn how you can make a difference, visit our website today: https://paloaltocommfund.org/