Shana Santow

Development Director

shana@bostonfoodforest.org

As Development Director at Boston Food Forest Coalition, Shana builds relationships to cultivate financial support for the organization, generates new individual and foundation giving, sets strategy for the fundraising department, and integrates internal development systems. Shana also contributes to important strategic planning processes and conversations to help bring BFFC into its next stage of growth. She strives for a culture of philanthropy that puts BFFC neighbors first and prioritizes the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Shana brings 14 years of development experience to her role, as well as a background in architecture. Starting in 2013, she led the development efforts at Southside Community Land Trust (SCLT) in Providence, RI. There, she helped the organization grow in both budget and size. A notable achievement was the success of SCLT’s $6.5M, four-year capital campaign for the organization’s new headquarters. She was not only involved in the fundraising component of the project, but also utilized her architecture education and experience to oversee the design and construction of the new headquarters in conjunction with construction partners. Shana led success across all aspects of SCLT’s development shop, including growing their membership program, securing sizable contributions for the major gifts program, and planning and implementing the organization’s largest annual fundraising event: a plant sale for 2,000+ attendees. 

Earlier in Shana’s career she was an architect in The Thomas Group in Princeton, NJ, specializing in K-12 school design. This was her first insight into disparities between NJ’s wealthiest and most under-resourced areas. Shana conducted feasibility studies and strategies for districtwide improvements as part of the comprehensive five-year master plan for Elizabeth NJ School District, one of the 28 school districts seeking reparations for decades of inequitable funding.  

Throughout her career, Shana became familiar with and passionate about food security, space access, and environmental resilience in urban neighborhoods, which inspired her transition to the nonprofit sector. Here, she deepened her understanding of biodiversity, the challenges posed by climate change, urban agriculture and local food systems — all while developing a stronger connection to the earth. This ultimately led her to join the team at Boston Food Forest Coalition. 

When not wearing her development hat, Shana likes to tap into her creative side. Most days you can find her playing in the garden or in the kitchen creating an epic 3D cake for friends and family. She enjoys traveling, documenting through photography, wielding power tools, and learning new skills like welding, metalsmithing and jewelry design.