Nicole Eovino Diebold is senior program officer at the C.E. and S. Foundation, a private family foundation based in Louisville, KY, that supports children and young people to become resilient adults who are prepared for opportunities to engage and thrive. We first met Diebold in 2023, when she participated in a public financing learning community through the Grantmakers for Education Out-of-School Time Impact Group, which included a discussion about how funders can help their states and communities answer some big questions about strategic public financing.

Allie Farrell, our senior manager for partnerships, spoke with Diebold about the foundation’s efforts to bring together key individuals from across the state to examine fiscal data, coordinate efforts, and think through a strategy for pursuing dedicated funding that could support children statewide. Diebold shares her advice for other philanthropic leaders who are interested in helping their communities advocate for and access sustainable public funding for children and youth.