In their new roles, Sadikshya and Carson are primary relationship holders with our grantee partners.
A program officer’s work touches every aspect of the Foundation’s grantmaking efforts: day-to-day operations, networking and outreach, and broader strategy development. As members of the program team, Sadikshya and Carson will seek, recommend, and manage grantmaking that aligns with the Foundation’s mission, supporting work that leads to racial, social, and economic justice.
They bring a combined 17 years of nonprofit and philanthropic experience to their positions.
Sadikshya Aryal
A native of Nepal, Sadikshya is inspired to build bridges between and across communities. Most recently, as evaluation associate at Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies, she created learning opportunities, invited in external perspectives, and implemented equitable evaluation practices across the organization. She is passionate about working in rural communities, with experience supporting Indigenous women’s groups in Nepal and Belize and building an equitable, sustainable local food system in North Carolina’s High Country.
“One of my core ways of being centers on relationship building and deep listening. I think our role as a philanthropic institution, especially as a program officer, is to be a responsive facilitator who builds relationships and challenges the notion of going into a community with preconceived solutions.”
Sadikshya Aryal
Program Officer, NWAF
Carson Faust
An enrolled member of the Edisto Natchez-Kusso Tribe of South Carolina, Carson has a heightened sense of responsibility to Indian Country, rural communities, and communities of color. He supported Native American arts, folk arts, and music education portfolios in his most recent position as a program associate at Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies. He began his career working within nonprofit organizations that support writers and artists in rural and underserved communities in the Midwest.
“I am a storyteller, and I leverage this perspective to navigate the philanthropic sector. In my work as a teaching artist and a philanthropy professional, I aim to support people and communities in finding, honing, and embracing their own voices.”
Carson Faust
Program Officer, NWAF
“I’m excited to have Sadikshya and Carson join our team. Their experience in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors includes a commitment to justice and systems change that fully aligns with our grantmaking approach to learn from and with our grantee partners.”
