Sawyer Baker

Director, Policy & Innovation

Sawyer Baker (she/her) recently joined GHHI as Director, Policy & Innovation. Sawyer is an experienced national community impact leader with 8+ years of experience in program design, project management, and donor stewardship. Prior to joining GHHI, Sawyer was the Director of 211 National Programs at United Way Worldwide (UWW) where she designed and led the piloting and growth of localizable solutions United Ways and 211s across the country could use to lower transportation barriers to employment, health, food, and more. These pilots grew to a $28M+ multi-year program portfolio of 32+ national corporate, individual, and foundation donors supporting 300+ grants and sub-grants across 40 states. In addition to this work, Sawyer also served on United Way’s Race, Equity, and Inclusion Working Group, led engagement with technology providers to create innovative solutions to increase 211 capacity during large-scale disasters, and coordinated national internal and external communication strategies for the 211 network.

Prior to UWW, Sawyer was a Program Officer at the Global Disaster Preparedness Center hosted by the American Red Cross, creating programs aimed at protecting livelihoods and promoting community resilience by providing small businesses with adaptable preparedness tools and services. She also had the privilege of supporting the IFRC Secretariat in Geneva and the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center in Bangkok as staff-on-loan. Sawyer holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Political Science from Iowa State University, and a Master of Public Administration degree from The George Washington University.

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