 Pilar Diaz Commissioner |
Pilar is a nonprofit professional with two decades of experience working with community-based organizations in Southern California. Her roles have included grantmaking, fund development, corporate partnerships, program implementation, and community organizing.
Her work has focused on reaching and improving the lives of those who live in underserved communities. A transplant from Colorado, she came to California to help organize oil workers in Carson for the AFL-CIO. Thereafter, she worked at Watts Labor Community Action Committee, providing leadership and resource workshops for students and parents from Nickerson Gardens and Jordan Downs Housing Projects. Her next role was as Los Angeles Community Organizer for the National Campaign for Jobs and Income Support’s welfare reauthorization campaign, helping lead local grassroots organizations’ advocacy efforts on local, state, and federal levels.
Pilar worked in grantmaking for 14 years. At The California Endowment, she helped implement Local Opportunities Fund, a grant initiative that focused on funding emerging and community-based organizations. At LA84 Foundation, her portfolio included many small grants for neighborhood-based youth sports programs, including those located in remote areas in Southern California. In addition, she managed multi-year grants to organizations that served youth throughout Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles County, and Southern California. During her tenure in grantmaking, she was active in Asian Americans Pacific Islanders In Philanthropy and Emerging Practitioners In Philanthropy. She was on both organizations’ steering committees and chaired subcommittees. Her most recent roles have been in fund development for a local Boys & Girls Club and SCGA Junior. She now works as a consultant to organizations that serve youth.
Pilar is active in many community organizations, including PBS SoCal API Community Council and Latina Golfers Association. She was one of the founding board members of Hunger Action L.A. and TeAda Productions and served on the Alumni Board of her alma mater, University of Colorado. For her community work, especially engaging the next generation of philanthropists, she was recognized by the Liberty Hill Foundation as its 2011 Change L.A. NextGen Honoree.
Pilar earned her undergraduate degree in Ethnic Studies (with emphasis on African American Studies) from University of Colorado at Boulder and Master of Public Administration degree from California State University, Northridge.