SARAH DIEFENDORF
The Capacity Collaborative

Sarah is the Director of the Environmental Finance Center at Earth Island Institute, which is a member of the Environmental Finance Center Network. Her work focuses on catalyzing grassroots community capacity and providing training and technical assistance throughout the United States. For over 25 years she has implemented tools and training to: 1) help Native American Tribes and vulnerable communities increase their waste, water, energy and climate adaptation management capabilities, and 2) build financial, managerial, leadership and communications capacity in disadvantaged communities. Her skill set includes grant writing and management which she has honed over twenty years of practice and instruction. Sarah serves as a Leadership, Non-Profit Management and Communications trainer for the Environmental Finance Center Network and served as an Expert Witness for the USEPA National Environmental Finance Advisory Board. She holds a BA in International Relations from San Francisco State University and an MS in Environmental Geography from Cambridge University.