Longtime Director June Makela Steps Down as Lorraine Marasigan Promoted to Lead the Norman Foundation
June Makela, who has led the Norman Foundation since 2000, will step down at the end of December. Makela brought her years of experience in philanthropy and activism to help shape the family foundation’s strategic vision. Under her leadership, the Norman Foundation focused its grantmaking on economic justice, environmental justice and movement building; supported groups anchored in low-income communities and communities of color; and provided long-term general operating grants to support grassroots organizing. To ensure the continued commitment to the Foundation’s social justice legacy, Makela helped the Foundation with a generational transfer of leadership, paving the way for new Board members to engage in grantmaking and created opportunities for the youngest generation of family members to develop their interest in social justice issues, learn the value of charitable giving and participate in youth philanthropy activities.
Lorraine Marasigan, who joined the foundation in 2013 and is currently serving as program officer, has been promoted to the director position. She has over ten years of experience in philanthropy, having served as a program officer at Funders’ Collaborative on Youth Organizing (FCYO) and Cricket Island Foundation. Marasigan received a Master’s of Public Health and Master’s in Social Work from Columbia University and a B.A. in Psychology and B.A. in Integrative Biology from UC Berkeley. For more information about the Norman Foundation, please visit www.normanfdn.org.