A third-generation San Diegan, Sara Jacobs has dedicated her career to fighting for the most vulnerable people by making institutions and policy fairer and more equitable, and finding innovative solutions to some of the most complex problems.
Sara founded and chaired San Diego for Every Child: The Coalition to End Child Poverty. Since its inception in fall of 2018, San Diego for Every Child grew into a broad coalition of groups working toward the goal of halving the experience of childhood poverty in San Diego County by 2030. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, San Diego for Every Child started the COVID-19 Children’s Fund, helping to mobilize millions of dollars in philanthropic and government funding to support child care for essential worke
rs and equitable distance learning for students throughout San Diego County.
In addition to her role at San Diego for Every Child, Sara has dedicated much of her time and energy to electing a new generation of leaders — women, young people, people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and other underrepresented communities. She serves on the board of Equality California and the Run for Something Powerhouse Committee, and as a member of Columbia University’s Data and Society Council. Sara believes in harnessing the power of technology to solve big problems and has always been especially committed to fighting for the causes of children.
Sara has also served in policy positions at the U.S. State Department during the Obama Administration, UNICEF, and the United Nations, and as a scholar in residence at the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies at the University of San Diego. She was also proud to use her expertise to serve as a policy adviser to Secretary Hillary Clinton during her 2016 campaign for president.
Sara served as the founding CEO of Project Connect, an education non-profit dedicated to closing the opportunity gap for students around the world by mapping and connecting schools to the Internet. The project was so successful that became a flagship part of UNICEF’s work around the world.
Sara grew up in our San Diego community and is a proud alumna of the San Diego public school system. She holds a bachelor of arts degree in political science and a master of international affairs degree in international security policy and conflict resolution, both from Columbia University.
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