Marie Medina

Grassroots Fundraising Manager, Chinook Fund

Denver

Marie (she/her) was born and raised in the southern plains of Colorado, a descendant of Chicanx farmers, activists, and a curandera or two. Growing up in a rural farming community heavily impacted by poverty instilled in Marie the power and importance of resiliency. She earned her BA in Psychology and Gender Studies from the Metropolitan University of Denver in 2013. While a student, she organized with Slutwalk Denver, a transnational movement calling for an end to rape culture, including victim blaming and slut shaming of sexual assault victims. In her role, she helped amplify the voices of groups impacted by sexual violence including sex workers, formerly incarcerated people, and homeless/displaced communities.

Marie’s grassroots fundraising experience includes developing digital and on-air fundraising campaigns for the independent news network Free Speech TV, counting Democracy Now! and Gay USA among the programming. Her commitment to Reproductive Justice brought her to the Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights (COLOR). While at COLOR Marie used transformational fundraising strategies, resulting in the highest-grossing fundraiser in COLOR’s herstory. Through her passion for connecting people to causes through writing, she has produced content for a Denver mayoral campaign, Healthcare for All Colorado, and Curious Theatre Company. Marie currently serves as the Grassroots Fundraising Manager for Chinook Fund, supporting grassroots organizations working on issues of social and economic justice and seeding groups making a positive, systemic impact to improve the quality of life for all Coloradans. In 2018, Marie received an Outstanding Alumni award from Metropolitan State University’s Gender Institute for Teaching and Advocacy.