Dear Friends,
I am thrilled to introduce you to new Astraea leadership and our ever-growing team: fierce folks hailing from an amalgam of backgrounds and expertise, with one thing in common—a relentless vision for gender, racial and economic justice.
Cara Page joins us as our new Director of Programs. She is a Black Feminist Queer cultural/memory worker and organizer, and most recently the Executive Director of long-time Astraea grantee partner Audre Lorde Project. Cara’s brilliance, political commitment and movement acumen will no doubt propel Astraea’s 40 years of activist grantmaking precisely where we belong! I’ve been proud to call her my comrade, and thrilled we will now be working together even more intimately and strategically. Her long-time organizing and movement building history in the U.S. South, leadership and expertise are perfectly aligned to guide our programmatic work forward. “I am thrilled to join Astraea’s amazing leadership team to transform, amplify and strengthen resources for our LGBTSTGNCQIA U.S. & global movements towards our collective liberation,” says Cara.
Sarah Gunther, who stewarded the Program Team for the last four years with excellence, compassion and systematic rigour, has transitioned to a new role, Director of Philanthropic Partnerships. From this new perch, she will build institutional partnerships with foundations and governments, and leverage Astraea’s leadership in philanthropy to better resource LGBTQI rights and racial, economic and gender justice movements. “I couldn’t be more excited to join up with Cara, everyone at Astraea and our partners in the field to mobilize new and better money for organizers on the frontlines,” says Sarah.
As many of you know, Barbara-Jean Davis joins Astraea as the Director of Development. Barbara Jean has served in leadership roles within the reproductive rights, gender justice and social justice movements. She brings with her a wealth of fundraising expertise and over 15 years of rallying resources to social justice organizations, most recently as the Director of Development at Hetrick-Martin Institute. “I could not be more honored or excited,” says Barbara Jean. “I’m looking forward to elevating Astraea’s fundraising and development efforts to ensure our LGBTQI partners continue to have the support they need to be agents of change.”
Read about all our exciting new team members—Cara Page, Barbara Jean Davis, Sarah Gunther, and Kristin Gardner—in the bio links below. Join me in welcoming a team of people who have justice in their bones—the calling to organize, mobilize, resource, resist and overcome!
With deep solidarity,
J. Bob Alotta
Cara Page is a Black Feminist Queer cultural/memory worker & organizer. She comes from a long ancestral legacy of organizers and cultural workers from the Southeast to the Northeast. [Read more]
Barbara Jean Davis comes to Astraea with 15 years of strategic development and nonprofit management expertise with a strong emphasis on LGBTQ and women’s rights. [Read more]
Sarah Gunther is the Director of Philanthropic Partnerships at the Astraea Foundation, where she works to influence philanthropy to better resource LGBTQI rights and racial, economic and gender justice movements, and builds institutional partnerships with foundations and governments. [Read more]
Kristin Gardner serves as Associate Director of Major Gifts. With a diverse background in nonprofit management and a passion for social justice, she’s held development positions at Arthritis Foundation, Transgender Legal Defence and Education Fund, and most recently served as Major Gifts Officer at The New York Women’s Foundation. [Read more]
