Jenny Kurzweil
Senior Communications Officer
In her role of Senior Communications Officer, Jenny is our resident storyteller. She chronicles donors’ generosity and kindness as they give back for generations to come. And, she showcases nonprofit leaders in their tireless work building a Santa Cruz County where all people can thrive. Jenny loves crafting messages that resonate, honor authentic voices, and spark others to give back.
Jenny started her professional career as a chef and baker but transitioned to storytelling when she learned about sustainable agriculture from the farmers she met at her local market. Her book Portrait of a Market: A Journey to the Roots of Our Food combines oral history and research to share a vision of a safe and just food system. Her work has also been published nationally in Science Magazine and Feminist Wire, and locally in Phren-z and the Santa Cruz Sentinel. Her latest book is holding residence in her hall closet. Jenny never returned to a commercial kitchen and instead dedicated her love of writing and communications to advance social causes.
Prior to coming to the Community Foundation, Jenny worked for nearly 20 years as the chief storyteller for SACNAS (Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science), the nation’s largest multicultural and multidisciplinary organization working to diversify the science and technology fields.
Deeply rooted in Santa Cruz County, Jenny is co-founder of Pie for the People, where she helps inspire philanthropy to benefit grassroots nonprofits and foster youth engagement in activism.
Ask Jenny about...
Jenny is here to highlight the work of our nonprofit partners, the vision of our donors, and all the ways they accomplish great things with the Foundation. Talk to her about the ways you see local philanthropy shaping and improving our community’s future. She’s your go-to for media inquiries and translating news and events into compelling online narratives. She also loves talking about pie, our local farmer’s markets, and the best places to walk her beloved dog Muggsy.
