Description

Please join us for this Nonprofit Leadership Circle welcoming Inés Merchán, Director, Strong Communities and Donor Aligned Funding at Rhode Island Foundation to discuss Grantmaking with our Nonprofit community.

Inés Merchán is the Director of Strong Communities and Donor Aligned Funding at the Rhode Island Foundation, where she leads grantmaking strategies that advance equitable outcomes for Rhode Island residents and communities. In her role, she works closely with nonprofit organizations, community leaders, and cross-sector partners to align philanthropic investments with pressing community needs and opportunities. As part of the Foundation’s Grants & Community Investments team, Inés helps guide funding initiatives focused on strengthening families, expanding access to basic needs and essential services, and supporting community-based solutions that improve quality of life across the state. She is committed to fostering collaborative partnerships and leveraging philanthropy as a catalyst for lasting, positive change in Rhode Island.  In addition, Inés works closely with colleagues on the Foundation’s development team to connect donors directly to real-time funding opportunities to assist community organizations. 

Inés sits on the Rhode Island Early Learning Council, the Rhode Island site for the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative, the Refugee Support Network and in many other spaces. Prior to joining the Foundation in 2000, Inés was part of the administrative team at Direct Action for Rights & Equality and at AIDS Care Ocean State. 

Inés earned an associate degree from the Community College of Rhode Island and a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Rhode Island.

The Rhode Island Foundation is the largest and most comprehensive funder of nonprofit organizations in Rhode Island. Through civic leadership, fundraising and grant-making activities, together with neighbors and partners, the Foundation is helping to create progress that lasts.