Sierra Dakin Kuiper

Sierra Dakin Kuiper
Senior Manager for Foundations and Donor Relationships

Sierra provided strategic advice across the organization in matters relating to foundation support. She partnered with the president and senior staff to deepen connections with existing donors and identify potential new sources of foundation funding. Sierra oversaw the Women in Law and Leadership Initiative and Jim Rubin International Fellowship program, working closely with volunteer leaders and donors to secure increased support for the Institute.

Prior to ELI, Sierra was a Senior Associate with the Environment Practice at Waxman Strategies in Washington, DC where she played a lead role on business development and supported the work of the international forest program through campaign project management and research. Sierra previously worked for five years as a Park Ranger in the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, generating impactful messaging and inspiring thousands of visitors to connect with the area’s rich array of cultural and natural resources through ranger-led programs. She has served as a Board Member for DC EcoWomen, a Board Fellow on the Land’s Sake Board of Directors(a community farm in Massachusetts), and a Community Advisor for the Graduate Commons Program at Harvard University.

Sierra holds a MA in Socio-Cultural Anthropology from Brandeis University. Her master’s research explored social dimensions of land management practices related to large landscape conservation initiatives in North America using ethnographic methods. She has presented her research at TedX and on panels at several academic conferences. Sierra also earned a BA with Great Distinction from the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada, and a 9-month certificate in Mountain Adventure Skills Training from the College of the Rockies in British Columbia, Canada.