As director of programs and strategy, Jen Sokolove leads the Water Foundation’s programs team, which drives grantmaking strategy to secure safe water for people, restore and sustain freshwater ecosystems, and build climate resilience. As a member of the senior management team, she helps implement the foundation’s overall mission and works closely with the CEO to engage new partners, develop campaign strategies, and grow field capacity. Jen has been working on sustainability for more than two decades, with a focus on community-based conservation.
Prior to joining the Water Foundation, Jen led grantmaking at the Compton Foundation around movement-building and narrative in climate change, reproductive justice, and peace and security. She first joined Compton to advance its environmental programs on fresh water, climate, and rural conservation in the western United States, as well as sustainable food systems and art for social change. Before Compton, Jen worked on a variety of community-led conservation projects in California, Montana, and the Pacific Northwest. She serves on the boards of the Story of Stuff, EcoAdapt, and the Biodiversity Funders Group, and the advisory board for the Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program at UC Santa Cruz. Jen received a PhD in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management from UC Berkeley.
