Melissa Vargas (she/her) is passionate about building connections and is a strong believer in the transformative power of community led change. As Senior Operations Coordinator, Melissa supports the implementation of Philanthropy Together’s various programs, events, and everyday operations.

Over the last three years, she has held various internships supporting the research and coordination needs of both nonprofits and international development consulting firms. Most recently, Melissa served as a Proposal Coordinator for the global consulting firm The QED Group. In this role, she helped coordinate the firm’s proposal development processes for various U.S. Agency for International Development contract acquisition opportunities.

Melissa holds a B.A in Global Studies from Long Island University Global College, a four year experientially based study abroad program. Through her undergraduate program, she completed a blend of coursework, internships, and independent research in 10+ countries throughout Central America, Europe, and Asia. During her studies, Melissa’s research centered around food justice and migration. Melissa lives in NYC and in her spare time loves traveling, reading, playing soccer, and exploring with friends.