The Community Foundation for Monterey County announces its new president/CEO, Gina Dalma.

The Community Foundation for Monterey County has hired a new president and CEO, nonprofit executive Gina Dalma, selected after a nationwide search, the organization announced on Wednesday, Sept. 23. She steps into the new role on Nov. 9 while retiring President and CEO Dan Baldwin will remain until Dec. 15.

“Gina brings extensive experience in nonprofit executive leadership and is passionate about this work. Her depth of knowledge and expertise will continue to elevate and grow the impact of the CFMC,” said Elsa Mendoza Jimenez, the foundation’s board chair.

Dalma served recently as chief development officer for the Global Fund for a New Economy, where she spearheaded donor engagement, organizing and fundraising strategies to mobilize capital for global economic inclusion, equity and sustainability.

She also served 17 years at the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, including as executive vice president of community action, policy and strategy.

Dalma brings something else to the table in a county with a large immigrant population—she herself is a Mexican immigrant who says she believes in creating a more sustainable, just and inclusive society.

“There is no more exciting place to work because of its diversity,” Dalma says of one of the reasons why she sought the position. That diversity includes the wealth found on the coast, but also the “wealth and resourcefulness” of Salinas Valley farmworkers, “the people whose shoulders we stand on,” she says.

The reputation of the foundation was a main draw to the position, she says, calling it a trusted organization in the world of philanthropy, having built strong assets and created community efforts such as Monterey County Gives!, which last year raised more than $17.1 million for 213 nonprofits. (The Monterey County Weekly partners with CFMC and the Monterey Peninsula Foundation on the annual effort.) 

“The biggest value add is it tells the story of the impact nonprofits have on the county,” she says. Even small gifts can be inspirational to the donor, to feel they have an influence on the future of Monterey County, she adds. She steps into the job just three days before this year's MC Gives!, which runs Nov. 12 to Dec. 31.

Dalma says community foundations in general can play a new role in helping people within the community to thrive. That could include efforts like investing in housing efforts as a way to unlock capital or new emerging models such as land co-ops or worker-owned enterprises.

The foundation would always focus on helping the community in emergencies and supporting nonprofits, she adds, but they can engage in efforts that ensure every resident has the ability to succeed.

Dalma’s contributions to the philanthropic world have been recognized by various organizations. She was named one of the Top Women Leaders of San Francisco by Women We Admire in 2023, received the Athena Leadership Award in 2022 and was honored with the Trailblazer Award by the Chicana Latina Foundation in 2023.

She has a bachelor's in economics from ITAM, Mexico City, a master of science in economics at the University of London, and a master in international policy studies from Stanford University.

“I’m very pleased the CFMC board has hired such a capable CEO,” Baldwin said. “She brings tremendous professional credentials, including deep understanding of community foundations, and life experience to the CFMC’s work in Monterey County. Gina and I worked together as community foundation colleagues where she brought tremendous energy and intelligence to several successful initiatives. I’m excited for the future of the CFMC.”

There was another reason Dalma was attracted to the job. 

"I don't think there is a more beautiful place in the world," she says.