CRISTINA BRISKIE-WOOD
Director of Development

Cristina Briskie-Wood is a strategic fundraiser and advocate with 15+ years of experience supporting education, youth development, arts, and social justice organizations across California and beyond. As Director of Development at Western Justice Center, she leads the organization’s fundraising strategy and donor engagement efforts, helping ensure WJC has the resources and partnerships needed to expand its impact and sustain long-term change.

Prior to joining WJC, she served as Chief Development Officer at Heart of Los Angeles, an organization providing out-of-school time academic and enrichment programs, where she led fundraising, communications, and volunteer efforts. She has also partnered with organizations such as Venice Community Housing and Time In Children’s Arts Initiative to build sustainable, community-centered fundraising programs. Her accomplishments include securing seven-figure public and private gifts, establishing endowments, growing individual donor programs, launching major events, and building high-functioning development teams. She also serves on the LA County Department of Arts and Culture’s Arts Education Collective Leadership Circle, an advisory group working to expand access to arts education across the county, and as Board Secretary for the PLUS ME Project.

Cristina believes strong, values-driven organizations are essential to building more just and connected communities. She approaches development work as relationship-building rooted in trust, transparency, and shared purpose, and is deeply committed to WJC’s mission of advancing education, dialogue, and community care as tools for lasting social change.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from Grinnell College and a Master of Arts in Anthropology and Gender Studies from Brandeis University, and is a graduate of the Stanford University Graduate School of Business Executive Program for Nonprofit Leadership. She is a Certified Fund Raising Executive and a Certified Nonprofit Accounting Professional.

Cristina is a human parent, a cat parent, and a half-marathoner.