Cynthia Gonzales

Why do you do what you do? What drew you to the foundation?

I enjoy working with people and seeing all the changes in the Bay Area. Prior to working here, I worked at a property management office as an office assistant. When the foundation signed a lease for its previous office space, I helped them move into that building. During the process of the build-out and move-in, I worked with the CFO and controller on a regular basis. They were such nice people to work with. I did some research on the organization and realized that the foundation is such a great organization. Months went by and there was a job opening for a grants assistant. I applied for the job and got an offer one hour after my interview. I’ve been at the foundation for over 20 years and enjoy working with the staff and grantees.

How would you describe your role?

As a senior grants assistant, I am responsible for supporting grantees to process their grant application, troubleshooting and confirming documentation through the web portal to ensure the applications are complete for the program department. I also work with Donor Services to process Donor Advisor grants through the web portal and paper recommendation.