Menu
Close
Madeline joined the James. B McClatchy Foundation in 2020 and serves as the Director of Grantmaking Practice.
She grew up in the San Fernando Valley in Southern California and moved to the Central Valley to attend the University of California, Davis. Her degree in Community Development grew her interest in providing resources to local, community-driven organizations to encourage equitable and sustainable development.
She began her career working for the nonprofit, San Francisco Parks Alliance, managing grants for publicly funded beautification projects. But her love for the Sacramento region’s vibrancy, culture, and weather pulled her back to the valley.
Madeline leads grantmaking and partner engagement at JBMF to support the strategic development of the Foundation’s spend down.
I believe the role of philanthropic organizations is to act as a unifier and bring people from different sectors together to accomplish common goals.
Philanthropy has the capital and flexibility to act courageously and fuel change from the bottom up. Working in philanthropy fulfills my desire to foster well-resourced organizations that can be the backbone of support to the communities they serve.
JBMF’s commitment to investing in inclusive, next-generation leadership is a pillar of our work that I am deeply passionate about. I believe that having diverse leaders in positions of power that bring their culture and unique perspectives to the table can create a more equitable future for everyone.
My passion for leadership stems from my grandfather’s influence. A proud first-generation Mexican-American, he instilled the values of accountability and civic engagement inside me since very young. Being a Marine war veteran, he believed strongly in freedom and fought for it as a soldier.
His dedication to justice extended beyond his military service and shaped his role as the patriarch of my family. He encouraged all of us to use our voices and be involved civically. With his direction, I wrote a letter to an LA congressperson asking for more funding for school systems — at the wise age of 10. A family vacation looked like traveling to DC to learn about history, democracy, and attempts to meet elected officials in person.
Though he sadly passed when I was 15, he taught me many lessons that drive my work in philanthropy.
My greatest joy in life is to express myself through movement and music. I am thankful to call Sacramento my home and love exploring the parks, shops, and restaurants this beautiful city has to offer. I also spend my time reading books and listening to podcasts about wellness and media created by community voices and our grantee-partners. The book I am currently reading is Mark Arax’s “A Dreamt Land.”
Grant proposals are by invitation only. Please only send letters of inquiry or proposals by mail or email if requested to do so by Foundation staff.
