Resume

Education

Certificate of Completion, Project Management • 2023 • California State University Los Angeles, DTLA

Master of Arts, Major in Social Entrepreneurship & Change • 2012 • Pepperdine University

Bachelor of Arts, Major in English Creative Writing • 2005 • University of Southern California

Recent Work History

Foundation Relations Officer • Homeboy Industries, Los Angeles, California • June 2025 - present

• Maintain a portfolio of 60-70 foundation funders, including current and prospective foundation donors, with strong

  stewardship and cultivation.

• Oversee a development (grants) coordinator with their own portfolio of foundation funders and administrative

  responsibilities, including the oversight of grant workflow, funding forecasts, and stewardship activities.

• Lead internal grants communications by providing written and verbal updates on foundation fundraising to Executive

  Leadership Team, key staff, and the Development Committee of the Board of Directors as necessary.

• Build strong and productive relationships with programming and finance departments to identify funding

  opportunities, enhance proposals, and effectively steward foundation partners through strong reporting practices

• Evaluate and refine foundation giving strategies in collaboration with CEO, Chief Development Officer, Manager of

  Corporate Partnerships, and Director of Government Relations.

• Develop a comprehensive tracking system utilizing Raiser’s Edge to ensure that foundation milestones are all met by

  required due dates and maintain accurate and up-to-date information in donor database.

• Expertly prepare compelling donor communications including letters of intent, proposals, sponsorship decks, reports,

  letters and emails.

Part Time Grant Writer • Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California, Los Angeles, California • May 2025 – present

• Research, write, and submit grant proposals to foundations, corporations, and government agencies.

• Maintain accurate records of grants and funder interactions.

• Track grant proposals, deadlines, and reporting requirements.

Development and Grants Manager • Los Angeles Food Policy Council,  Los Angeles, California • April 2024 - April 2025

• Secured five- and six-figure awards from two new private foundations within the first nine months of FY25.

• Established strong project management systems supporting every phase of the grant life cycle, from prospecting, to stewardship, to proposal submission, to post-award negotiations and compliance reporting; 

• Initiated relationships with private family foundations and corporations, and reengaged lapsed private donors, building long-term, sustainable revenue to mitigate over-reliance on contracts funded by federal agencies.

• Led the production of fundraising materials celebrating the impact of LAFPC’s donors, including the annual impact report, donor-centered solicitations and event invitations, and formal thank you letter templates. 

Grants Manager • Japanese American National Museum, Los Angeles, California • Oct 2020 - April 2024

• Secured $5,600,000 in FY23 from private foundations and government contracts; supported the administration of an 8-figure, multi-year gift from an individual donor, and two 7-figure gifts from two corporate foundations;

• Once promoted to the Grants Manager position in August, 2022, I was responsible for writing clear, persuasive, and well-structured grant proposals that aligned with the organization's needs and the grantor's objectives. Each proposal included a compelling case for funding, highlighting the Museum’s mission, goals, and impact. Led the submission of multiple grant proposals simultaneously by assembling and organizing application materials in accordance with funder specifications. Monitored each opportunity’s unique lifecycle, from identification of opportunities to successful submission. Established relationships with new or lapsed prospective funders and sustained relationships with legacy supporting institutions; 

• Developed new approaches to institutional grant processes, including the Project Management Institute’s best practices to increase the efficiency of managing more than 100 qualified prospects, government contracts, foundations, and corporations. Created a streamlined and usable database of boilerplate information and templates, data, and records to aid in efficient proposal writing; Supervised the workflow of the Assistant Grants Manager and freelance grant writers to manage the grant submission process, and meet all reporting deadlines; 

• Led a cross-functional, cross-departmental team of colleagues to develop a Corporate Giving Strategy. The team developed a cultivation road map that gave corporate supporters more opportunities to engage with the Museum and increased venues to acknowledge their support;

• Served as a co-chair of the cross-functional, cross-departmental team of colleagues tasked with developing a Museum-wide Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility initiative;

• I served as Assistant Grants Manager from February to July, 2022, and Grants Administrator and Accounts Payable from October, 2020 to February, 2022.

Interim Executive Director • Kona Historical Society Kealakekua, Hawaii  • March 2016 - October 2020

• Supervised all operations of a small community-based museum with an operating budget of $500,000; In March, 2020, led the Museum through the pandemic-driven economic shutdown, continuing the care of two historic sites, a living collection of plants and animals, and a rare collection of archival objects and photos.

• In February, 2019, I collaborated with legal and financial consultants alongside the Board of Directors to restore the organization’s revoked 501(c)3. Although restricted from accepting tax-deductible contributions, the organization was sustained through an increase in earned income from Museum tours, workshops, facility rentals, partnerships, retail sales and advertising revenue.  Thousands of dollars were raised through membership drives, and a variety of in-person and digital fundraising campaigns. Strong financial policies were developed and implemented to ensure accountability and compliance;

• Was promoted to the position of Interim Executive Director after serving as Development Director from February 2018 to February 2019, Development Associate from March 2017 to February 2018, and Executive Assistant from March 2016 to March 2017. 

Other Relevant Work Experience

Development Director • Kona Historical Society, Kealakekua, Hawaii  • February 2018 - February 2019

• Raised more than $25,000 each year through a week-long Online Auction, the organization’s largest annual fundraiser, requiring interdepartmental collaboration and fast-paced independent work in order to meet deadlines and milestones; I supervised the Annual Appeal campaigns, raising more than $30,000 each year,; I increased total sponsorship funds solicited from business and supporters by inviting these stakeholders to engage meaningfully with programming, including the annual Farm Fest and temporary exhibitions; 

• I managed a constituent database using the PastPerfect software, provided reports and analysis, and interpreted information provided by these reports, which helped set fundraising goals and strategies for Board Members; 

• I also managed a Membership Program, which included coordination of special cultural programs, fundraising events, donor luncheons, member happy hours, historical lectures, musical and dramatic performances, and rare, exclusive donor cultivation experiences. My role was ensuring customer service, prioritizing member needs and concerns, communicating and delivering member benefits and accommodating special requests. 

Special Projects Coordinator • Ayuda Foundation, Hagatna, Guam • September 2012 - December 2012

• Wrote grant proposals, organized press conferences, built websites, organized regional conferences,  managed volunteers, developed new social enterprises and programs under the umbrella of the foundation.

Office Manager • Partizan Entertainment, Hollywood, California • April 2007 - December 2007

• Accommodated for the needs of a busy music video, commercial, and feature film production office, managing all operating expenses and administrative workflow. Coordinated technical support for the company’s Hollywood and New York offices. Supervised a team of production assistants and interns.

• Coordinated the production of a special holiday event, featuring a performance from Lenny Kravitz. The guestlist included more than 250 producers, directors, clients, advertisers, and music industry leaders. Managed invitations, event budget, menu, seating chart, security, venue and production staff.

Relevant Coursework and Service

• Grant Writing Training Foundation, Los Angeles Public Library Online Course, A to Z Grant Writing, March 2025 to present;

• Membership in the Asana Ambassador Program, November 2024 to present;

• California State University, Los Angeles, College of Professional and Global Education, Certificate of Completion in Project Management, August 2023 - December 2023;

• Aloha Theater, Vice Chairperson of the Board of Directors, August 2017 – 2021;

• Association of Fundraising Professionals 2017 Philanthropy Day Conference, Participant, November 2017;

• West Hawaii Co-Chairperson of Volunteer Action Team for Planned Parenthood, December 2016 – December 2017;

• Guam Animals In Need, Chairperson of Public Relations and Media Committee, August 2015 – February 2016;

• Managing a Philanthropic Enterprise, Completed Spring Semester, 2012;

• Marketing and PR for Change, Completed Fall Semester, 2011;

• Social Entrepreneurship, Completed Spring Semester, 2011;

Skills

Project Management; Grant Cycle Management; Grant Writing; Persuasive Writing; Proposal Deck Creation; Budget Preparation; Knowledge of the philanthropic landscape in Southern California; Proficiency in GrantStation; Fluxx, Foundation Directory Online, SmartApply, True Impact Reporting, Grants.gov, GrantSolution, eGMSReach, Cybergrants, Submittable, SmartSimple, Benevity; SMApply; and others; Proficiency in constituent relationship management software such as Blackbaud Altru, PastPerfect, and Salesforce; Utilized project management technologies including Asana, Notion, Slack, and Google Workspaces; Dedicated to life-long learning, especially in the areas of wildlife conservation, Southern California ethnobotany, and botanical watercolor painting;  Engaged in ongoing learning experiences in the field of Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, Inclusion, Belonging, Justice and more.