Eliza Jarvinen

Eliza Jarvinen comes to The Education Trust with a decade of fundraising experience at some of New York City’s leading educational and direct-service organizations. Prior to joining Ed Trust, she served as director, institutional and major gifts, at Breaking Ground, a supportive housing and homeless outreach provider. Previously, she worked in various front-line fundraising roles at several organizations, including Educational Alliance, a 130-year old settlement house in the Lower East Side of Manhattan; Carter Burden Network, a network of senior centers and social service programs for older adults; and Sunnyside Community Services another multi-service settlement house in Queens. Eliza got her start in fundraising as an intern at Girls for Gender Equity, a youth development and advocacy organization in Brooklyn. In each of these positions, she cultivated enduring funding partnerships with foundation, corporate, and government partners.

A native of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, Eliza has a master’s degree in fundraising management from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree in history from Bard College.

Proudest Moment

Finishing the New York City Marathon in November 2018.

What’s your favorite thing to do outside of work?

Hiking and reading a good book

What drew you to education?

Education is powerful. I’m so grateful for what my education did for me, and I can’t think of a better job than to be working to extend educational opportunities to all students.

Why are you passionate about working at Ed Trust?

The mission and the work! I am so energized by Ed Trust’s commitment to equity in education and its ambitious agenda to eliminate the drastic gaps in opportunity that exist for students of color and low-income students. I am inspired by my colleagues here at Ed Trust and excited to be on the team that raises funds to support and expand upon their important work.