Nyalat K Biliew

I deepened relationships, built responsiveness, and provided support to grantee partners and communities in the L/A and Keystone focus areas. I proactively deepened collaboration with other Sewall program areas and peer funders in Maine and beyond.

• Lead development of the Keystone focus area while supporting coordination and grant review for Lewiston-Auburn.
• Provide timely, proactive guidance on grantmaking and related inquiries.
• Collaborate with the team to refine grantmaking strategies to meet evolving community needs.
• Participate in grant review, due diligence, and ongoing support for staff, board members, and partners.
• Partner with staff and community organizations to design effective grant reporting processes.
• Support applicants and grantees in aligning with the foundation’s mission and maximizing available resources.
• Manage and track grants using the grants management database.
• Led strategic initiatives to enhance community impact and foster partnerships with local organizations.

Our primary responsibilities as a board is to provide educational programming and support to students within the Portland Public School district. We do this by establishing the rules and policies used to govern the school district and by hiring the Superintendent. We oversea the implementation and supervision of the programs and policies.

• The board’s primary role is to support and enhance educational programming for students in the Portland Public School District. We set district policies and governance standards, hire the superintendent, and approve the budget.
• Developed and implemented strategies to address student needs and improve service delivery.
• Mentored new representatives, fostering a collaborative team environment and enhancing service quality.
• Analyzed feedback to refine processes, improving efficiency in student support services.
• Collaborated with educators to design tailored support plans for diverse learner populations.

As a grassroots organizer with the Sierra Club, I build grassroots power by leading campaigns that expand participation, train leaders, and engage diverse communities in environmental and social justice efforts. I plan and oversee organizing initiatives, manage volunteer recruitment, conduct community outreach, and develop volunteer and youth leaders to advance our mission.

• Developed grassroots campaigns to mobilize volunteers for conservation projects.
• Centers equity, justice, and inclusion in all organizing practices.
• Collaborated with stakeholders to promote sustainable practices and policies.
• Trained and mentored new organizers on effective advocacy strategies.
• Support Community and Climate Action Teams with guidance and shared resources.
• Worked with staff and volunteers to support ongoing political, conservation, and legislative campaigns and develop future campaigns that align with the Chapter’s goals. Understanding how conservation has perpetuated inequality and racism.
• Assist with fundraising through grant writing, donor engagement, and event coordination.
• Increased community engagement by organizing and leading grassroots campaigns through a local podcast.

My responsibility as the manager of Advocacy and Community Organizing was to strengthen the Food Bank’s advocacy and organizing capacity by providing on-going support and oversight for mobilizing grassroots strategies, engaging experts with lived experiences of food insecurity, participating in coalition building, and raising awareness about the Food Bank’s mission to end hunger in Maine.

• Build the Food Bank’s network of local hunger relief partners into a network of advocates.
• Build a cross-departmental strategy to support the Food Bank’s advocacy.
• Deepen and Strengthen the Building Advocates Leadership Program (BALP).
• Collaborated with community partners to expand outreach programs and increase service accessibility.
• Established protocols for tracking program outcomes, enhancing visibility of impact within the community.

My responsibilities as a Let's Go! 5210 Coordinator and a SNAP-ED Educator were to develop new and strengthen existing partnerships with community-based agencies to provide obesity prevention services, including nutrition education and physical activity programs to SNAP-eligible households. We also partner with local eligible school districts, childcare centers, community centers, and other organizations serving low-income families to implement evidence-based nutrition programs.

• Demonstrated; the ability to work with Cumberland County schools, community nutrition stakeholders, and youth-serving agencies to increase physical activity and access to healthy foods.
• Providing; content expertise, technical assistance, and tailored goal monitoring through in-person site visits and phone meetings.
• Demonstrated ability to identify school and community needs, contribute to the development of newsletters and training resources, and provide resources to community partners.
• Recruited new partner schools, childcare sites, and after-school programs to participate in the Let's Go! Program while sustaining existing relationships.