Marcela Muñiz, Ph.D., is a passionate and committed leader ready to open doors for Latinos and create opportunities for young people to thrive.
In her role as Vice President of Philanthropy, Marcela leads the Foundation’s philanthropic efforts and works closely with the CEO to build relationships with new and existing donors and maximize their philanthropic impact. She partners with individuals, families, corporations, and foundations committed to strengthening Latino communities and ensuring that the mission of unleashing the power of Latinos is achieved in our lifetime.
Marcela brings a wealth of experience to this position. Most recently, Marcela served as regional director of capital giving for Harvard University, where she led strategic fundraising efforts in the San Francisco Bay Area, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico. In this role, she forged strong, collaborative relationships with major donors and university leaders towards the success of Harvard’s historic $9.62B capital campaign.
Prior to joining Harvard’s team, Marcela was an Assistant Dean of Admission at Stanford University, where she led diversity outreach and managed teams responsible for evaluating thousands of applications from around the world. An expert on diversity in higher education, she has published and spoken widely on education topics including college access and faculty and student diversity.
Marcela draws inspiration and strength from her lived experienced as a young girl who grew up working at her parents’ restaurant in Pittsburg, CA, as well as from the many talented students and practitioners that she has worked with throughout her career in education. Driven by the strong work ethic and values that her parents instilled in her, Marcela graduated from Stanford University with a BA in Sociology and Spanish, MA in Sociology, and PhD in Education. She is now determined to use her skills, talents, and opportunities to open doors for others and create a more equitable world for her two daughters and their generation.
In her free time, Marcela enjoys food and wine with family and friends, travel, old school hip hop, and cheering on our Bay Area sports teams.