We are honored to celebrate Ariana Díaz De León and her work at Community Foundation Sonoma County as she wraps up over four years of contributing to the foundation’s Community Impact team.
Ariana first joined Community Foundation Sonoma County in 2018 as Community Impact Officer, where she helped deepen relationships with local nonprofits across the team’s field of interest funds. Ariana’s passion and commitment to creating partnerships with nonprofit organizations inspired her to ultimately serve as Community Impact Director.
Ariana’s list of contributions and accomplishments at the foundation is extraordinary, from her hard work during the fires and pandemic, to her steadfast community engagement work. She states that her grantmaking progress would not be possible without the support from generous donors and the programs that are ultimately envisioned and implemented by community partners.
When the pandemic hit, Ariana played an essential role in creating flexibility for nonprofit organizations as they adapted their work to changing circumstances. Ariana helped amplify the needs of the community and streamlined applications to quickly get funding into the hands of those that needed it the most.
In 2020, Ariana helped develop the Community Foundation’s first official internship program in collaboration with 10,000 Degrees. The program recruited college students with an interest in nonprofit work to learn and grow in various roles at the Community Foundation. As supervisor for the Community Impact Intern, Ariana championed the value and creativity young voices can bring to the field of philanthropy.
During her time at the foundation, Ariana’s knowledge of philanthropy expanded as she worked alongside individuals and organizations striving to reach the greatest need and address the most pressing issues in our communities. Ariana learned just how compassionate the people living in Sonoma County are, and how it all stems from kindness, a commitment to justice, and a genuine desire to create change.
Ariana expresses how, over the past four years, her personal growth allowed her to bring her authentic self to work. She describes her time at the foundation being both “kinetic and dynamic,” with the constant change and the unexpected curveballs that come with nonprofit and philanthropic work.
Whether it be the Monday morning check-ins with her Community Impact team, or the spirit of comradery when coming together to address an issue, Ariana expresses her love and appreciation for the hardworking staff at CFSC.
We are incredibly grateful for Ariana’s immense support and wish her great luck as she embarks on her next adventure, as she continues to support the community she loves – Sonoma County.
