Embracing a New Chapter

Dear PACF Community,

When I joined the Palo Alto Community Fund (PACF), I envisioned great things for PACF and our community, but I never imagined that we would evolve so swiftly and in so many consequential ways.

I am immensely proud of how far we have come as a community and an organization. I believe that PACF is ready to take the next leap forward. And so, it is with great confidence that I will be shifting out of my current role as Executive Director.

Over the coming months, I will be working with Sigrid Pinsky, our current board president, Susan Fields Bailey, our incoming Board President, and other board leaders, to build the right team to not only continue PACF’s unprecedented momentum and growth but also help us evolve further as a powerful catalyst for positive change in our local community.

Since 2019, we have increased our grantmaking more than four-fold, deepened our commitment to trust-based philanthropy, expanded our community of donors and grantees, and engaged our broader community as collaborators more fully. And that’s just part of the story of all we have accomplished together.

I am filled with gratitude for your trust and support, and for the opportunity to have worked alongside each of you. Together, we have strengthened PACF as an enduring community resource to ensure a vibrant Palo Alto, East Palo Alto, and Menlo Park for all. Together, we have raised, stewarded, and invested in the local nonprofit ecosystem, empowering our community as a whole. Together, we held fast to our core values during the toughest of times and stretched ourselves to invest in our shared future, respond to the moment, and close the gaps before us.

We have much to celebrate! I look forward to seeing you at the Palo Alto Community Fund COMMunity Celebration on Wednesday, June 5 from 6-7:30pm at Bloomhouse in East Palo Alto. If you haven’t already done so, you can register here.

With optimism and deep gratitude,

Lisa Van Dusen