Edurne Irizarry joins GJF as Director of Programs
Edurne (Eddie) Irizarry has 25 years of experience working in Philadelphia’s nonprofit sector. Born in Puerto Rico and raised in Philadelphia, she has held positions at leading organizations including the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, the Philadelphia Foundation, Kimmel Center for The Performing Arts, Youth United for Change, Congreso de Latinos Unidos and the Mazzoni Center for LGBTQ Health and Well Being.
As Lead for Community Impact at the United Way, Irizarry managed Social Venture Partners Philadelphia (SVP), a philanthropic initiative of the United Way. Irizarry built and fostered a network of informed, engaged, and effective donors and nonprofit organizations through grantmaking and skill-based volunteerism.
Previously, Irizarry served as a Program Officer at the Philadelphia Foundation (PF) where she led discretionary grantmaking for a $6 million dollar portfolio that spanned issue areas from advocacy and human services to affordable housing and financial inclusion. Irizarry’s deep knowledge of community-based organizations and the philanthropic landscape helped inform special initiatives and investments that were deliberate and aligned with community needs and institutional goals.
Before joining PF, Irizarry served as Assistant Director of Youth United for Change (YUC) and as Youth Initiatives Manager for the Eastern North Philadelphia Youth Services Coalition/Congreso (ENPYSC). Through ENPYSC, Irizarry partnered with a group of 15 area youth to build a community grantmaking board. At YUC, she sharpened organizational capacity by engaging the Board, staff, and youth in updating, developing, and implementing policies and practices to sustain the work of a 20-year-old organization, leading YUC towards institutional growth and campaign victories. As a prevention specialist at the Mazzoni Center for LGBTQ Health & Wellbeing, Irizarry served as an outreach worker and HIV counselor and tester addressing the intersecting issues facing people who live with addiction and/or HIV/STD’s.
Irizarry graduated from Bodine High School in Philadelphia, holds a Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies, Long Island University, Brooklyn, NY, an MSW through the University of Pa., School of Social Policy and Practice and is a Licensed Social Worker through the The Association of Social Work Boards. Eddie currently resides in the Tioga section of North Philadelphia with her Partner, stepdaughters, their dog Riley and cats Huey and Diego.