For Chantal Guadarrama, the new Women’s Giving Fund Steering Committee Chair, community has always been personal. It’s exactly what drew her to Women’s Giving Fund, a program of Park City Community Foundation that unites more than 2,400 women+ members across Summit County around collective giving to support women+ and children in the local community.
Raised in Summit County after her parents moved to Utah when she was just six months old, Chantal grew up with a deep connection to this place. Today, that connection shows up in the many ways she serves. She works in behavioral health with Summit County, is involved on local boards, and much more.
After meeting Park City Community Foundation’s Rebecca Blanchette through Leadership Park City, she was introduced to Women’s Giving Fund and the impact it has in our community. She was later nominated for a membership by a friend, and soon after, nominated again for a leadership role.
“I’ve never really seen myself as a leader,” Chantal shared. “I’ve always felt more like a follower. But I’ve been grateful to be put into leadership roles by people who believe I should lead.”
That trust is something she now carries forward in her role as Chair, helping guide thoughtful, community-informed grantmaking that supports women+ and children across Summit County.
“What I love most about Women’s Giving Fund is that the voices of women are at the front of everything,” she said. “I want to bring an ethical lens to that work and make sure we’re including voices that haven’t always been part of the conversation, especially people of color and the LGBTQ+ community.”
Through Women’s Giving Fund and her position as Steering Committee Chair, Chantal is helping ensure that more perspectives are represented and that resources reach communities across all of Summit County. In her role as Chair of the Steering Committee, Chantal will be leading the effort to select three grantees from the many applications that we receive from nonprofit organizations that are working to strengthen women+ and children in the community.
Her experience in the Community Foundation’s Leader Lab cohort and Leadership Park City further shaped how she approaches this work. It has given her tools to navigate board leadership and build collaborative solutions. One example is a community resource hub she helped initiate called Colectiva, a website designed to make it easier for families to find the support they need in one place.
At the heart of it all is a simple question that continues to guide her: How can I help?
“The community keeps me motivated,” she said. “Every community I’m part of has its own needs. I want to help people find the resources they’re looking for and protect the communities I care about.”
Looking ahead, she hopes to see even more women-led organizations thrive, especially those led by women of color, and to continue supporting bold ideas that move the community forward.
“I want to be someone who helps support those ideas,” she said. “To support people who have a vision and want to lead.”
Through leaders like Chantal, Women’s Giving Fund continues to strengthen a more connected, inclusive community for all.
To learn more about Women’s Giving Fund, a program of Park City Community Foundation with more than 2,400 women+ members, please visit our website and reach out to Rebecca Blanchette at: rebecca@parkcitycf.org
Posted in: Women's Giving Fund