“Working for many years in climate philanthropy, I saw the critical importance of ensuring that everyone is able to benefit from the transition to a clean energy economy and that communities don’t get left behind. This means approaching the climate problem as an economic problem, which requires exactly the kind of place-based, bottom up approach to solutions that the JTF is so committed to.”

As the Deputy Director of Partnership at the Just Transition Fund, Rachael oversees fundraising strategies to support communities navigating the clean energy transition. With more than 15 years of experience in philanthropy, Rachael has worked at the intersection of climate, energy, and economic and racial justice.

Before joining the JTF as Director of Grantmaking in 2021, Rachael served as Program Officer at the Mertz Gilmore Foundation, where she led both place-based and national grantmaking initiatives. This work included longstanding engagement with coal transition efforts. Under her leadership, Mertz Gilmore became a founding donor to the JTF in 2015. Rachael also led efforts to increase strategic alignment across the Foundation’s programs, which led to a focus on supporting communities most impacted by the energy transition and embedding a commitment to equity into the Foundation’s strategies and operations.

Earlier in her career, Rachael held roles at the Open Society Foundations and the NYC Campaign Finance Board, where she developed expertise and experience in grants administration and community engagement.

Currently, Rachael serves as Co-Chair of the Energy and Natural Resources Group at the Appalachia Funders Network and as a member of the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Steering Committee on Capacity Building Strategy. She has previously held leadership roles with numerous philanthropic collaborations, including the Neighborhoods First Fund and the NYC Capacity Building Collaborative.

Rachael holds a B.A. from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and an M.P.A. from New York University. A native of Asheville, NC, she is proud to live in her hometown with her family, where she remains deeply connected to the region JTF serves. 

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