Zoe Fishman

Zoe Fishman, CFRE serves as the Director of Development for the Umoja Community Education Foundation. A passionate nonprofit development leader, Zoe brings nearly a decade of experience in fundraising, strategic planning, community engagement, and mission-driven relationship building across organizations focused on educational equity, housing stability, social justice, and community empowerment. Her work is grounded in a deep belief in authentic relationships, collective care, and equitable access to opportunity.

Prior to joining Umoja, Zoe held leadership roles with Women’s Empowerment, Sunburst Projects, and Meristem. At Women’s Empowerment, she helped secure transformational funding for a transitional housing program supporting women and children experiencing homelessness while leading fundraising strategy, donor engagement, and community partnerships that strengthened long-term sustainability. At Sunburst Projects, she expanded donor and community engagement efforts supporting families and individuals impacted by HIV/AIDS. Most recently at Meristem, Zoe led development initiatives supporting neurodiverse young adults through experiential education and workforce development programming.

A Certified Fund-Raising Executive (CFRE), Zoe is recognized for her experience and expertise in ethical fundraising, donor stewardship, campaign strategy, and nonprofit leadership. She is also a graduate of the Nehemiah Emerging Leaders Program and is passionate about strengthening the Sacramento region through community engagement, volunteerism, and mission-driven collaboration.

At Umoja, Zoe is passionate about building meaningful partnerships and advancing philanthropic support that uplifts Black student success, educational equity, and community empowerment through culturally responsive education and collective care.