Who We Are
We work with nonprofits in the San Francisco Bay Area and Idaho to develop marketing strategies that will help them to soar.
Visit the pages below to learn more about our nonprofit marketing services.
Our Mission
Graybird Foundation donates marketing expertise and services to community, education, environmental and fine arts nonprofits in the San Francisco Bay Area and Idaho.
We team with our valued clients to identify, scope, and deliver a bold marketing move.
Our Team
Graybird Foundation is fueled by our business and marketing experience and a desire to give back.
Jill Grossman
Founder and CEO
Responsible for strategic planning, identifying projects, and supervising fundraising.
Helen Boyer
Chief Operating Officer
Responsible for strategic planning, client partnerships, grant management, finance and operations.

Jill Grossman
Founder and CEO
As founder of Graybird Foundation, Jill is thrilled to give back to the Bay Area community that has given so much to so many. At Graybird, she is responsible for strategic planning, identifying opportunities, and executing fundraising efforts.
Jill has played an active role in several projects — most notably as executive producer of the documentary Surviving Skokie and as a task force member of the LifeMoves (formerly InnVisionShelterNetwork) rebranding initiative.
Even before founding Graybird, Jill was involved in several nonprofit marketing projects including the acquisition of two digital mammography systems at the San Mateo County Hospital and the 25th Anniversary fundraising video for ShelterNetwork. As a member of the Crystal Springs Uplands School board of trustees, Jill led the creation of Crystal’s mission statement, tagline and the 2009-2014 strategic plan as well as co-led the marketing/capital campaign efforts for the institution’s new Middle School. Her high technology communications experience includes executive roles at Silicon Graphics, Macromedia and Catapult Partners.
Jill has a BA in History with a minor in Business Administration from UCLA. Apart from Graybird, Jill enjoys hiking, skiing, traveling, movies and spending time with her three fabulous children and extended family. Oh, and she also loves the Golden State Warriors.
See Jill’s full professional background on LinkedIn.
You would never guess
I wear a size 10 shoe
I can’t function without
Music on a hike
Celebrity who would play me in a movie
Sandra Bullock (I wish!)
A nerdy thing I love to do
Try to figure out who will win the Oscar in every category every year
My favorite vacation spot is
Sun Valley, Idaho
As a kid I was always in trouble for
Losing things
Favorite part of my job is
Working with my friends
Renee Spooner
Chief Marketing Officer
The Graybird Foundation clients inspire Renée to dig deep and make bold marketing moves on their behalf. After a successful Silicon Valley career in high-tech marketing, she now combines her skills in branding, communications and project management with her passion to mentor nonprofit professionals. Clients on the Graybird roster include Berkeley Symphony, Crystal Springs Upland School, Foundation for a College Education, Gatepath, Golden State Youth Orchestra, LifeMoves, Reach for Home, and Surviving Skokie.
As Chief Marketing Office at Graybird Foundation, Renée is responsible for guiding client marketing strategy, bringing together skilled teams, and mentoring clients as they take ownership of their new brands. She draws from a background in public relations, customer marketing and product launches, with previous management roles at Silicon Graphics, BEA/Oracle and VMware, and consulting with numerous startups. Renée’s evolution into the nonprofit sector is her way of giving back.
The travel adventure on my bucket list is
Sailing the South Pacific
Celebrity who would play me in a movie
Joan Cusack
A nerdy thing I love to do
Is recite Paul Revere’s Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
I [ … ] everyday
Pray for my children and my sanity
As a kid I was always in trouble for
Talking too much in class
My favorite restaurant is
Sam’s Chowder House in Half Moon Bay
Favorite part of my job
Mentoring up-and-coming marketers
Helen Boyer
Chief Operating Officer
As Chief Operating Officer of Graybird Foundation, Helen guides strategic planning, finance, operations and our grant process. She leads project teams, client engagements and develops creative solutions that drive the foundation’s programs and goals.
Helen brings two decades of business management and operations experience to Graybird, spanning the corporate, non-profit, public and private sectors. Having lived internationally and travelled to more than 25 countries, she has a diverse professional background ranging from leadership roles in business development, product planning, logistics and process management to assisting underserved children in Ecuador, Costa Rica and Vietnam. Helen’s volunteer service deeply informs her life practice. She is honored to help individuals and businesses in her local coastal community, in addition to her work at Graybird.
Helen graduated from UC Davis, with a BS in Textile Science. When she isn’t at Graybird Foundation you’ll find her riding her bike to the beach with her dog, listening to jazz at her favorite café, or up-cycling a new find. And, plagued with a serious case of wanderlust, she is always planning the next stamp for her passport. See Helen’s full professional background on LinkedIn.
You would never guess
I know the words to nearly every song in the musical “Funny Girl”
I can’t function without
my sisters
The travel adventure on my bucket list is
Angkor Wat in Cambodia
A nerdy thing I love to do
file my greeting cards by category
Favorite Podcast/Movie/Book/Play/Artist
Baraka, Shantaram, Into the Woods, Guayasamin
I [ … ] everyday
visit the ocean with my dog
As a kid I was always in trouble for
talking too much, especially to strangers
Favorite part of my job
Working with people who are guided by their hearts

Shelley Willig
Head of Education Practice
Shelley is obsessed with education; she believes that increasing the percentage of young people earning college degrees is a solution to many of the major issues plaguing our country today. Combining her 20 years in high-tech marketing with her role as Head of Education Practice at Graybird, Shelley is elated to lead projects for community based organizations working hard to get more students to and through college.
Since 2006, Shelley has been deeply involved in education nonprofits. She manages the volunteer college advising program at Foundation for a College Education where she also works directly with students. Shelley serves on the board of Mid-Peninsula High School, a CAIS school in Menlo Park. Prior to joining Graybird Foundation, Shelley served eight years as the Director of Admission at Trinity School, an independent elementary institution.
Shelley holds a BA in Communications from CSU Fullerton, and a certificate in College Admissions Counseling from UC Berkeley. When she is not touring college campuses, Shelley enjoys hiking, cooking, and dinners on the patio with her husband and four sons.
I can’t function without
The goofiness of my kids and husband
The travel adventure on my bucket list is
Hiking Mt. Kilimanjaro
I’ve always wanted to be
Bilingual
My hidden talent is
Cooking a pretty good meal in anybody’s kitchen with whatever I can find in the fridge and pantry
A nerdy thing I love to do
Read statistics about college admissions
Favorite Podcast/Movie/Book/Play/Artist
Stand By Me/Operating Instructions/Driving Miss Daisy/Elton John
As a kid I
was never in trouble because I never got caught!
My favorite spot in the Bay Area is
Wunderlich Park Trails
Favorite part of my job
Working with people I admire

Veronica Santo
Marketing Specialist
As a Marketing Specialist at Graybird Foundation, Veronica is responsible for marketing execution, client research, social media strategy, website development, and event planning.
Veronica is originally from the Bay Area where she attended Palo Alto High School and then she moved to Southern California where she graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Marketing).
During Veronica’s internship at Graybird Foundation in the Summer of 2018, she developed a passion for helping her community. After graduation, Veronica joined our team as a Marketing Specialist where she continues to work with nonprofits to which she feels deeply connected.
In her free time Veronica loves to travel, attend sporting events, and hangout with her family and friends.
My favorite spot in the Bay Area is
Foothills Park
You would never guess
That I have been on stage with Green Day
I can’t function without
Caffeine
Celebrity who would play me in a movie
Mandy Moore
A nerdy thing I love to do
Watch crime documentaries
The travel adventure on my bucket list is
Swim off the Amalfi Coast
My favorite vacation spot is
Maui, Hawaii

Natalie Occhipinti
Marketing Specialist
Natalie was born and raised in the Bay Area, attending Trinity School and Castilleja. She left California for college, attending the University of Colorado Boulder where she earned BA in Ecology and Environmental Biology and a minor in Religious Studies.
Natalie chose to study both science and religion in her college career. While gaining a deep understanding of the world’s ecosystems through research projects and lecture, Natalie simultaneously expanded her knowledge of worldly affairs and historical communities by writing and engaging in discussion with her peers and professors. Along with her studies, Natalie enjoyed exploring Colorado. Now she’s back in the Bay Area, working with Graybird as our Marketing Specialist. She brings a unique, analytical perspective to our office.
As Marketing Specialist, Natalie conducts client research, compiles research results and manages interview schedules. She schedules, prepares and attends client meetings, presentations and events, while also reviewing and providing input on all Graybird projects.
Outside of work, Natalie enjoys traveling, painting, and spending time with her friends and family.
I can’t function without
Coffee Coffee Coffee
The travel adventure on my bucket list is
Exploring Southeast Asia
A nerdy thing I love to do
Discuss scientific theories
Favorite Podcast/Movie/Book/Play/Artist
My favorite movie is Funny Face, and my favorite musical group is Fleetwood Mac
My favorite spot in the Bay Area is
Skyline Boulevard
You would never guess
I was born on leap day!
Favorite part of my job
Working with a group of remarkable women
FAQs
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Who is the Graybird Foundation team?
Graybird Foundation was created by Jill Grossman, Helen Boyer and Renee Spooner.
What is Graybird Foundation?
Graybird Foundation is a private, non-operating foundation that makes grants to support the marketing needs of nonprofit organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area and Idaho.
Where does Graybird Foundation operate?
Graybird Foundation serves nonprofits focused on community, education, environment, and fine arts in the San Francisco Bay Area and Idaho.
What is the Graybird Foundation team’s nonprofit track record?
The Graybird team has extensive experience working with various nonprofits. Our past clients include: Abilitypath, Architects of Peace Foundation, Berkeley Symphony, Crystal Springs Uplands School, Foundation for a College Education, Golden State Youth Orchestra, Idaho Conservation League, LifeMoves, Michael Collopy Photography, NAMI San Mateo County, Reach for Home, Surviving Skokie, The Alliance and Wood River Women’s Foundation.
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When was Graybird Foundation created?
Graybird Foundation was established as a 501(c)(3) non profit corporation in December of 2015.
How is Graybird funded?
Why was Graybird Foundation formed?
Graybird Foundation was created to identify strategic projects and donate marketing services which advance the missions of: community, education, environmental, and fine arts nonprofits in the SF Bay Area.
How is Graybird Foundation different than other nonprofit marketing firms?
Graybird Foundation teams with clients to develop and fund strategic marketing initiatives. We integrate with our grantees, working side-by-side to map out a plan, achieve their goals and see them through to completion. Our clients benefit from the professional marketing expertise we provide that their operating budget may not have been able to accommodate. Graybird benefits by making a meaningful difference for local SF Bay Area and Idaho nonprofits.