Career Paths in Philanthropy w/ Judi Powell ‘86 & Jessica Weare ’02 (Silicon Valley Community Foundation)

Judi Powell ’86, Stanford ’94

Executive Vice President

Silicon Valley Community Foundation

As Executive Vice President, Philanthropic Partnerships for the Silicon Valley Community Foundation (SVCF), Judi Powell leads the teams that guide individual, family, and corporate donors to achieve meaningful impact. She helps ensure that SVCF provides a world-class donor experience that connects donors to communities’ most pressing needs. Prior to joining SVCF in 2022, Judi was Vice President of Program and Strategic Initiatives at Pacific Foundation Services, a foundation management services firm, where she directed programmatic services for all family foundation clients. Her extensive experience in grantmaking, leadership, research, evaluation, and strategy includes work with Northern California Grantmakers and Peninsula Community Foundation. Judi has participated in forums with the Council on Foundations, Exponent Philanthropy, and other groups, speaking on leadership and on diversity, equity, and inclusion in philanthropy. Judi holds a B.A. in economics and political science from Yale University and a Ph.D. from the Stanford Graduate School of Education.

Jessica Weare ’02

Vice President of Corporate Responsibility

Silicon Valley Community Foundation

Jessica is Vice President of Corporate Responsibility at SVCF. Her team partners with more than 70 companies on the strategy and execution of their corporate philanthropy. Before joining SVCF, she spent seven years directing Microsoft’s philanthropic work in Silicon Valley, driving record participation in the local employee engagement program and supporting nonprofits working in education, workforce development, and civic technology.

Jessica has served on the boards of the Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits and California Humanities. She is a senior fellow of American Leadership Forum. In her role on United Way Bay Area’s public policy committee, Jessica successfully advocated in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., for legislation strengthening public education, healthcare, economic mobility, and charitable giving.

Jessica received a bachelor’s degree from Yale University and holds a doctorate from Stanford University. She has completed additional training in cross-sector collaboration at Harvard Business School, in corporate social responsibility at Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship, and in design thinking at Stanford.