Marisa Aguayo leads the development and implementation of fundraising strategies to secure support from foundations, law firms, unions, corporations, and other institutional partners. She also plays a leadership role in crafting annual fundraising plans that ensure NILC’s long-term sustainability and reflect a social justice-oriented, community-centric fundraising philosophy.
Prior to joining NILC in 2004, Marisa worked as a program director for the MultiCultural Collaborative, a social justice organization created after Los Angeles’ 1992 civil unrest, and as a development associate for El Rescate, a legal and social services agency serving immigrants in Los Angeles. Marisa earned an M.A. in Literature from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a B.A. in English from Colorado College.
Marisa is the proud granddaughter of immigrants from Mexico on her father’s side. With deep roots in New Mexico, her maternal ancestors (as they say) didn’t cross the border. The border crossed them.