Celebrating Philanthropy Fellows: Emily Fairbanks & Fiona Lu
- CRIMSONBRIDGE WEB
- Jul 18
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 29
Crimsonbridge Foundation’s Philanthropy Fellows Program engages students in an opportunity to learn about philanthropy, participate in the grantmaking process, and contribute their skills to administrative tasks, communications content, and special projects that support the Foundation's mission.
Emily Fairbanks joined Crimsonbridge as a Philanthropy Fellow in 2024 and celebrates her one-year anniversary as a Philanthropy Fellow this summer. Emily recently graduated with a degree in Theology and Secondary Education. As a Philanthropy Fellow, Emily has supported the Foundation’s Catholic Education and Leadership program areas. “With her passion for the transformative power of Catholic education and her experience student teaching in a local Catholic school, Emily brought an invaluable and fresh perspective to our Bridges for Schools program,” shared Caitlin Mayo, Director of Catholic Initiatives. Emily contributed to the creation of the Bridges for Schools website, reviewed many grant applications, and designed social media campaigns highlighting the work of Crimsonbridge partners. She has also been instrumental in launching the Foundation's Instagram profile, which debuted this month. This fall, Emily will begin her teaching career at St. John the Beloved in the Diocese of Arlington.
Philanthropy Fellow Fiona Lu completed her six-month fellowship with Crimsonbridge this June. Fiona, an undergraduate majoring in Public Policy at the University of California Los Angeles, first connected with Crimsonbridge through her participation with Ignite National two years earlier. During her fellowship, Fiona supported the Foundation’s College Success and Leadership & Civic Engagement program areas. "With her experience in nonprofit and board leadership roles, Fiona's deep understanding of relationship-building and strong writing skills added great value to site visit conversations with grantee partners and several strategic communications projects to help uplift partners' work," shared Robyn Ellis, Senior Program Officer. Fiona authored several pieces, including one article on national organizations driving women's civic engagement, a piece on mentorship, and a fellowship spotlight, as well as developing a social media campaign and reviewing College Success trends to craft effective storytelling.
Since 2017, Crimsonbridge has had 10 Philanthropy Fellows, each of whom brought energy, perspectives, and ideas to our work.
