Jessica Avendaño

Jessica Avendaño is a Program Officer at Sunlight Giving, where she manages a grants portfolio supporting access to housing, legal services, early care and education, and other essential safety-net services across the Bay Area and Central Valley in California. She brings over a decade of experience across the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors, with a career rooted in strengthening support systems for children and families with low incomes. At the heart of Jessica’s professional life is a growing conviction that faith and vocation are inseparable. She holds a master's degree of Public Administration from Notre Dame de Namur University and a Bachelor's degree in Sociology from California State University, Stanislaus. Outside of work, Jessica enjoys organizing spaces, spending time outdoors, strength training, and cultivating practices that foster gratitude, presence, and joy.