Every year, more than 700 grants are processed in our Boulder, Colorado, office and sent or wired to grant recipients around the globe. We are happy to welcome these new members to the Global Greengrants team!
Jenna Daucunas, Development Administrative Assistant
Jenna has always been drawn to helping others. Volunteering in Bolivia and Costa Rica as a teenager led her to pursue a degree in International Studies at the University of Oregon, focusing on community development. After college, she spent four years in northern Spain teaching English and volunteering in the local UNICEF office. Jenna launched her career in nonprofits at the University of Colorado Foundation. Her love of the outdoors and passion to help people and to be part of creating a better world led her to join Global Greengrants in 2015. She can be found camping and climbing around Colorado most every weekend in the summer and enjoying the great skiing all winter.
Colleen Keane, Program Administrative Assistant
With a dedication to environmental and social justice issues, Colleen joined Global Greengrants Fund in 2015. She came to Colorado from Alaska, where she worked for nonprofit organizations committed to supporting communities and indigenous rights. While working for Pacific Environment and Alaska Community Action on Toxics, Colleen collaborated with communities and indigenous peoples in Alaska to implement strategies to reduce and eliminate their exposure to toxic substances and protect the environment that supports their way of life. Colleen has a B.A. in Ecological Studies and is a Certified Clinical Herbalist.
Kristall Laursen, Global Giving Network Manager
Kristall joined Global Greengrants Fund after a varied background in the cultural arts and nonprofit field. After graduating with a B.A. in Communications from Wartburg College, she completed a M.A. in Museum Studies from Western Illinois University. Her studies took her to Europe where she raised funds for Kettle’s Yard and Wolfson College in Cambridge, England. Tying together her love of people with her interest in philanthropy, she began working at John G. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. There, Kristall developed an interest in environmental conservation and sustainability, which led her to join Global Greengrants in 2015.
Robert Riker, Grants Administrative Assistant
Robert’s passion for human rights, social justice, and environmental conservation drew him to Global Greengrants Fund in 2015. Prior to joining Global Greengrants Fund, Robert worked as an anthropology research assistant, focusing on indigenous rights, land tenure, and environmental conservation in the Brazilian Amazon. His diverse work experience includes stints as an organic farmer, high school sports coach, photo booth operator, city planner, and architectural draftsman. Robert holds B.A.s in History and Government and Politics from the University of Maryland, College Park, where he also minored in Latin American Studies.
Nicole Schmitt, Grants Administrator
Before joining Global Greengrants Fund in 2015, Nicole worked, interned, and volunteered for several domestic and international environmental organizations, usually in agriculture, public lands, outdoor recreation, and education. Nicole has traveled and studied in China, New Zealand, Ecuador, and India, and is dedicated to promoting practical, grassroots solutions to conservation and environmental justice issues around the world. She is extremely passionate about nature and is always keen to hike, ski, paddle, climb, or bike anything outdoors. Nicole holds B.A.s in International Studies and Geography from the University of Denver, Colorado.
Click here to learn more about our Boulder-based team.