Donor spotlight: Sumathi Ramachandran

Prior to 2016, Sumathi Ramachandran, a finance executive, gave to big nonprofits – UNICEF, Doctors Without Borders, etc., and yet, she was a loyal, local WABE listener. The Community Foundation kept coming up – in radio programming, experts at events, even in ads – which compelled Sumathi to take a closer look. She opened a donor-advised fund later that same year and has never looked back. “I wanted to get closer to the community,” said Sumathi, “and that drove my motivation to get involved at the Foundation.”

The Spark Giving Circle was starting, which Sumathi joined immediately. There, she met other donors who shared similar giving passions, and saw palpable differences through their combined giving. “While Spark has had its ups and downs, our giving circle learned about ways to increase impact through education,” Sumathi explained. Thus, she began working with her philanthropic officer to learn more about education-serving nonprofits. “I am a big believer that education is the key to exiting poverty. Providing people pathways to income and wealth are transformational and can help families move up the economic ladder,” added Sumathi.