From Marilyn Martino, Executive Director
Dear Friends and Nonprofit Colleagues:

In 1993, I answered an ad in the Sudbury Town Crier posted by a small nonprofit in town seeking someone to set up their new database. I was in transition so a part-time position for a year to get the software up and running seemed like a good idea.
It was. 

Today, almost 28 years later, my next transition - retirement as Executive Director of the Sudbury Foundation - is in the works.

During my unexpected lengthy tenure here, I’ve had a unique opportunity to support hundreds of local nonprofits trying to solve our most pressing and varied social problems - from youth emotional well-being to food insecurity to college access. It’s the kind of professional fulfillment most people only dream of in their careers.

I’ve also had the good fortune to work with a remarkable group of trustees, colleagues, and staff who have joined me in navigating the changing tides of philanthropy. Together, we have sharpened the Foundation’s programmatic focus; shifted funding strategies to provide more general operating support, and elevated efforts to address inequities. We have listened, encouraged, and trusted our nonprofit leaders and, hopefully, helped to strengthen their invaluable work in our region.

I will always be grateful to you, our nonprofit and community partners, for letting me play a small part in your wonderful story. Every grant, every scholarship, and every grant partner engagement has been special to me. Thank you for that.

Transitions are bittersweet and there will never be an easy time to leave the role that I love, but now seems right. I am incredibly optimistic about what lies ahead for the Foundation and the local nonprofit community.

The trustees have hired Kittleman & Associates to find my successor by the end of the year. More details will be shared shortly. In the meantime, we are so fortunate to have Tricia Brunner, our long-time operations manager and a valued member of our team, onboard to ensure things run smoothly throughout the transition.

With heartfelt thanks,
From Jill Stansky, Board Chair
Dear Friends of the Sudbury Foundation:

With extreme gratitude (and some sadness), we announce Marilyn’s retirement after close to three decades with the Sudbury Foundation. It’s been a pleasure to know and work with her.

Under Marilyn’s exceptional leadership, the organization has re-imagined its program areas to include positive youth development and a resilient local food system while continuing to support community needs in Sudbury, and provide substantial college financial aid to local students. She has worked in close partnership with the leaders of more than 300 local nonprofit organizations and helped to distribute close to $18 million in grants and more than $7 million in college scholarships.

We will miss her enthusiasm for our grant partners and their work, her commitment to supporting our underserved, often overlooked, neighbors in MetroWest, and her careful stewardship of the Foundation’s resources.

Thanks to Marilyn's keen insights, the Foundation has never been in a stronger position. She has shaped and enhanced our view of how a place-based, private foundation can make a difference in the lives of people and their communities.

Because Marilyn gave us plenty of notice to plan for her departure, we anticipate a strong search process and a smooth transition.  

I hope you will join me and my colleagues at the Foundation in wishing Marilyn a fulfilling, adventurous, and joyful retirement. 

With many thanks,

Jill

8/2/21
The Sudbury Foundation is a private foundation working to transform lives and strengthen communities, both human and natural, through grantmaking and scholarship programs in Sudbury, MA and surrounding communities.