“I grew up in a rural area, attended a rural community college, and still live in and engage with my rural community—I am proud to play a part in helping rural communities and nonprofits succeed.”

Yvette Rhodes works with rural organizations seeking grants and supports grant recipients. She is part of the Open Grants review team, including Technical Assistance and Good Neighbor grants, including large capital projects that fall under the Community funding priority. She has been part of The Ford Family Foundation staff since 2003, working with the Rural Community Building team and now with the Community Economic Development team.

Yvette holds deep and holistic institutional Foundation knowledge and relationships; she is something of a program historian. “The communities we are working with now in a deep way were places where we supported leaders more than 15 years ago,” she says.

Before joining the Foundation, Yvette worked with students, job seekers, and employers through Umpqua Training and Employment in Roseburg.