Barbara Grasseschi of the Healthcare Foundation Northern Sonoma County wins a North Bay Business Journal Nonprofit Leadership Award

According to her nomination, Grasseschi has helped lead the organization to raise over $450,000 for a virtual gala held in August. This amount far exceeded the organization’s original $250,000 goal. The money will be used to continue making COVID-19 emergency grants to organizations serving those who are suffering due to the pandemic.

“Barbara and her husband Tony were our lead donors for the event; she also galvanized the team to make many dozens of calls to to make the case for support to sponsors and donors. The event was wildly successful, largely due to Barbara's strength, endurance, sense of humor, and personal outreach to her vast network. Barbara is the former board chair, and is now the fund development and event chair. We would not be her without her persistent leadership and generous spirit,” her nominator stated.

The nonprofit was established 20 years ago. Its mission is to engage donors in support of health care in North Sonoma County in order to “eliminate health inequities in Sonoma County.” The Healthcare Foundation focuses investments in three areas: Healthcare Access, Mental Health and Early Childhood Development.

According to its annual report, at the onset of the pandemic earlier this year, it launched the Emergency Healthcare Fund. Among the groups it was targeted to help were the Latinx community. About $400,000 was awarded to local organizations "in support of direct medical, mental health and food security services ensuring these frontline organizations can continue to provide urgent care to those who need it."