Sadikshya Aryal
she/her/hers
Program Officer
Joined Northwest Area Foundation: July 2024
EMAIL“We make our world significant by the courage of our questions and by the depth of our answers.” — Carl Sagan
Sadikshya believes relationship building is central to the success of philanthropic organizations in co‑creating solutions with communities, and that community members themselves hold innovative solutions to address their needs. As a program officer, she strives to create a welcoming space for dialogue to build trust and nurture partnerships with organizations as she seeks, recommends, and manages grantmaking that aligns with the Foundation’s mission.
Sadikshya grew up in Nepal and immigrated to the United States at a young age. Balancing her identities inspires her to build bridges across communities and help people understand multiple perspectives and lived experiences. This grounding drew her to the Foundation, where she works to reimagine and restructure unjust systems so that all communities can have self‑determination.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Sadikshya was an evaluation associate at Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies, where she supported organizational learning and the implementation of equitable evaluation across the organization.
She is passionate about working in climate and food justice with rural communities globally. She has supported Indigenous women’s groups in Nepal and Belize in developing ecotourism programs rooted in Indigenous knowledge and conservation, and previously worked at Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture to advance equitable food access for rural farmers and marginalized communities in Boone, NC.
She holds a master’s in development practice from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University Minnesota and a bachelor’s in sustainable development from Appalachian State University in North Carolina.
When not at work, Sadikshya can often be found on a hiking trail, cooking or enjoying a good meal, or traveling to spend time with family across the world.