Community Foundation Welcomes Four New Staff to Philanthropic, Program Support Roles
Springfield—The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts (CFWM) has announced four new staff members to their team, filling philanthropic and program support roles at the organization. Bianca Walker has been hired as Philanthropic Officer; Nikai Fondon has been hired as Donor Engagement Coordinator; Anastasia Dildin has been hired as Grants Assistant; and Sophie Kanetani has been hired as Scholarship Program Associate.
In joining CFWM’s Philanthropic Services team, Walker and Fondon will help deepen and broaden the organization’s fundraising and connection with donors.
Walker has worked in the nonprofit field for the past 15 years, most recently as the Senior Development Officer at the Alzheimer’s Association, Western / Central Massachusetts. She developed a strong sense of devotion to, and appreciation for, the nonprofit field through her experiences as an annual youth employee with a summer work program at Data Institute. Walker is currently attending Bay Path University, pursuing her degree in Nonprofit Management.
Fondon previously served the Community Foundation for three years in the role of Scholarship Associate, and is bringing her knowledge of the younger community to her new role as Donor Engagement Coordinator. A recent college graduate from the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst, Fondon has a strong passion for women empowerment, leadership and education, and, in her words, “chooses to use her position in society to uplift and encourage others of all backgrounds to become better versions of themselves.”
As Grants Assistant, Dildin will support the foundation’s programs team with database management and other administrative support. After graduating in 2018 from Central Connecticut State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Statistics, Dildin served one year with AmeriCorps as a data analyst and mentor program manager at Grace Academy, a Hartford school dedicated to fighting poverty through education. Dildin is currently enrolled in Central Connecticut State University’s Geography Graduate program.
Kanetani will support the CFWM’s Scholarship Program as the new Scholarship Associate. She is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College.
Founded in 1991, the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts seeks to enrich the quality of life for the people of our region. With assets totaling $163 million, CFWM serves the three counties bordering the Connecticut River in western Massachusetts (Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin Counties) by serving as a resource, catalyst and coordinator for charitable activities. Most recently, its COVID-19 Response Fund for the Pioneer Valley has awarded $4.8 million in grants and counting to local nonprofits addressing immediate needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. To learn more, visit http://communityfoundation.org/.