Lea Rauscher

Director, Grants, Gifts and Compliance

Lea Rauscher is responsible for leading and managing the grants, gifts and compliance department which has oversight of and is responsible for all grant and gift transactions.  She works closely with staff across the community foundation, donors, fund advisors and grantees to ensure that donor intent is achieved and grant and gift transactions are timely, accurate and compliant with federal and state regulations.

Previously, Lea held the positions of stock gift and project funding associate and, more recently, gifts administration officer at the community foundation.  As the gifts administration officer she was responsible for leading and managing the gifts administration unit, ensuring the accurate and timely processing of incoming gifts, revenue, special project funds and accounts receivable as well as the acknowledgement of all gifts.

Lea graduated from San José State University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in accounting and a minor in cybernetics.  She also holds a certificate of entrepreneurship from West Valley College.  Before joining the community foundation, she worked for a national bookstore chain where she earned progressive promotions, ultimately obtaining the position of district manager and earning multiple awards.  She also worked as a cash and credit control specialist for a local moving company and as an independent business consultant for a web design and management start-up giving her over 30 years of customer service and operations experience.

A San José native now living in Gilroy with her husband, Lea enjoys haunting bookstores, reading, knitting, music and learning how to squeeze more flowers into her garden.