Alicia Sanchez Gill

Executive Director @Emergent Fund

In my role as Executive Director, I manage a multi-million dollar social justice intermediary rapid-response fund rooted in movement building. Since our inception, we have have raised and moved almost 10 million of dollars to Black, Indigenous, and people of color-led grassroots organizations mobilizing in response to COVID-19, family separation, Muslim bans, police brutality, abortion bans, climate injustice, and more. Through trust-based, community led philanthropy, I am able to do the work of reparations and land back by moving wealth out of the hands of extractive institutions and into the hands of organizers on the frontlines so that they have the resources they need to build power and heal in the face of relentless crisis. In my role I work to: • Deepen our practice of solidarity with our grantee partners and soon-to-be partners, ensuring that our work is intersectional, survivor-centered, coalition-led, and people-powered; • Ensure that our funding model maintains minimal bureaucracy, leaning into the expertise and networks of our decision-making Advisory Council, and funding leadership from the most impacted communities quickly and responsively; • Communicate about the work of grantees and applicants and lessons learned from the Emergent model with donors to the fund – including members of partner donors networks – other funding partners, and rapid response funds; • Lead strategy and long-term vision for the Emergent Fund in collaboration with other Fund leaders, community stakeholders and grantees; • Lead development of funding partnerships for the Emergent Fund, including existing and potential new partners; and • Shore up grantmaking processes, evaluation, and infrastructure, so that we can continue to meet the needs of our communities for the long haul.