Patricia Varela is a grants officer at The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, where she manages grantmaking processes and operations in support of the Foundation’s Just Societies team. In her role, Patricia ensures that grant compliance and due diligence reviews align with both U.S. and international regulations, and she collaborates across departments to implement effective, values-driven grantmaking practices. She also contributes to Foundation-wide initiatives to improve grant operations and support learning across programs.
With more than eight years of experience in philanthropic grant operations, Patricia brings deep expertise in U.S. private foundation compliance and international grantmaking. Prior to joining the Foundation, she served as Grant Operations Specialist at Paragon Philanthropy, where she oversaw the grantmaking processes in support of Equivalency Determinations and Expenditure Responsibility grants for U.S. private and Donor-Advise Funds sponsoring foundation clients.
Patricia holds a master’s degree in international affairs from the University of San Francisco and a bachelor’s degree in communications and sociology from the University of California, Davis. A committed community volunteer, she supports youth development and immigrant rights organizations in San Francisco. She is fluent in Spanish and enjoys traveling, running through Golden Gate Park, and spending time with her loved ones.