Paulette Meyer

Paulette has worked in the progressive movement for more than three decades on women’s rights, civic engagement, economic development, and philanthropy.  She has held positions in foundations and nonprofit organizations, owned a philanthropic consulting practice, and served on many nonprofit boards.  She currently serves on the Center for Community Change’s Endowment Board, based in Washington, DC, on the Bend the Arc Board, based in New York, and on the Board of the Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights, an international organization that makes rapid response grants to human rights defenders who are at-risk. Paulette also manages a small family foundation in San Francisco.

She founded and chaired Women’s Initiative for Self Employment for 15 years, a San Francisco nonprofit that trained and financed over 12,000 low-income women to start microenterprises.  These businesses have created nearly 40,000 net new jobs.  Other prior Board service includes: The Center for Community Change (Vice Chair and Treasurer), Equal Rights Advocates (Chair, Vice Chair, and Treasurer), Futures without Violence, New America Media, the National Partnership for Women and Families, the UC Berkeley School of Public Health, and the Women Donors Network (Chair, Secretary).

She lives in San Francisco with her spouse, David Friedman, and two yellow labs.  They have three adult children.