Mikki Sager is a nonprofit and philanthropic consultant who supports rural communities in building power and access to resources. At The Conservation Fund, she co-created and led the Resourceful Communities (RC) program, rooted in the “triple bottom line” of community economic development, social justice and environmental stewardship. She partnered with low-income communities and communities of color across 20+ states to support a network of 800+ community, faith and tribal groups with re-grants, capacity- and power-building, and connections to resources and peers.
Throughout three decades in the national conservation movement, Mikki saw untapped opportunities to leverage conservation tools, funding and other resources to help excluded people, communities and sovereign nations build power through land ownership. She learned from community partners about cultural and spiritual connections to the land, and about traditional knowledge and practices that preceded western science; and she worked to create spaces for excluded people and places to build community, shift power, build skills and tap the wisdom of communities to advance land justice. She works now as a consultant and volunteer, supporting rural and excluded communities in accessing funding and resources to advance community economic development, social/ economic/ environmental/ land justice, and environmental stewardship. When not working, she enjoys walks in the woods, reading, and being a grandma.