Mari Eva Mendes (She/Her)

Head of Philanthropy & Private Funding

Work History

Mari Eva Mendes is the Head of Philanthropy at Catalyst Mobility. A seasoned fundraising and communications strategist with more than 20 years of multinational experience, Mari Eva brings expertise in institutional giving, prospect development, donor stewardship, communications, and organizational capacity building. Throughout her career, she has developed fundraising pipelines, strengthened donor relationships, built high-performing teams, and created systems designed to support sustainable organizational growth.

Prior to joining Catalyst Mobility, Mari Eva served as Senior Director of Prospecting and Stewardship Strategy at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), where she led strategies to strengthen the organization’s foundation funding pipeline, deepen relationships with institutional funders, and identify new funding opportunities.

She previously served as Interim Chief Development and Communications Officer at both Learning through an Expanded Arts Program (LEAP NYC) and Girls for Gender Equity. In these roles, she led integrated fundraising and communications functions, built and managed development teams, strengthened organizational infrastructure, and developed strategies to grow and diversify philanthropic support.

Earlier in her career, Mari Eva served as NRDC’s inaugural Director of Fundraising Equity, where she worked with climate justice and health equity organizations to strengthen fundraising capacity and advance more equitable approaches to philanthropy. She also served as Associate Vice President at Harlem United, overseeing a $50 million portfolio of government contracts, foundation funding, and corporate grants while significantly expanding individual giving.

Education & Certifications

• Bachelor’s Degree, Triple Major in Sociology, Economics, and Indian History, Bangalore University
• Postgraduate Certification in Counseling Psychology, Parivarthan Counselling and Training Centre
• Professional Certification in Fundraising, Boston University
• Embrace Change Coaching Certification

Work Approach

Mari Eva approaches philanthropy as both a relationship-building discipline and a strategic driver of organizational impact. She focuses on translating complex ideas into compelling cases for support, creating strong and sustainable fundraising systems, and cultivating meaningful partnerships with funders.

Her leadership style emphasizes collaboration, clarity, equity, and capacity building. She is particularly passionate about helping teams develop the tools and confidence they need to grow while connecting resources with organizations and initiatives positioned to create meaningful change.