San Diego CA— The San Diego Women’s Foundation (SDWF) has announced Stephanie Cook as its new Executive Director, effectively immediately. In her new role, Cook will be responsible for upholding SDWF’s mission of connecting, educating, and inspiring women to come together in collective philanthropy.
In her previous role as the organization’s Manager of Programs and Member Engagement, Cook succeeded in connecting and fostering strong engagement with SDWF members. As a native San Diegan and a La Mesa resident, she takes pride in being a catalyst for change in her community.
“Over the past two years, I have watched SDWF members embrace philanthropic best practices, take on tough issues with our grants, and work to understand and implement diversity, equity and inclusion strategies,” said Cook. “I am constantly inspired by our members’ eagerness to learn and grow, and I look forward to working with our incredible network of changemakers to improve lives in our community.”
Most recently, the San Diego Women’s Foundation celebrated its 20^th anniversary this year by granting an all-time high of $380,000 to eight local nonprofits whose work benefits refugees, asylees and asylum seekers. Since its founding in 2000, SDWF has now granted over $4 million to more than 100 nonprofit programs that benefit underserved communities in the San Diego region.
Cook has an educational background in intersectional feminism. She has a Master’s degree from the University of Chicago and is an alumna of San Diego State University where she graduated with a B.A. in Women’s Studies. In addition to her involvement with SDWF, Cook is also a Board Member for Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of San Diego where she helps with programming.
To learn more about the San Diego Women’s Foundation, please visit www.sdwomensfoundation.org.