Work ethic and an entrepreneurial spirit are the keys to making things happen in the nonprofit sector, said Monique DiGiorgio, executive director of Local First Foundation and co-owner of Table to Farm Compost. She is also an environmentalist and outdoor recreationist, which brought her west from Wyckoff, New Jersey.
“I’m an outdoor and nature enthusiast,” DiGiorgio said. “I’ve been doing environmental work since I was 16, and I really wanted to move out West. When I came to Durango in 1997, I knew this place was awesome. I definitely got that sense, like many people do, ‘This place is special.’”
Before her gig with Local First Foundation, DiGiorgio enjoyed a mixture of environmental and nonprofit work. She was a biological field technician on conservation projects for University of Maryland, Dartmouth College, the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service for seven years. Then she led an organization called Southern Rockies Ecosystem Project, which focused on safety for wildlife and people on road.
As a conservation strategist for Western Environmental Law Center, she developed conservation programs for the law firm. DiGiorgio also managed a variety of projects for Future West, a nonprofit dedicated to collaborative conservation and local economies. In 2010, she founded Chama Peak Land Alliance, and spent seven years developing programs to promote responsible land, water and wildlife stewardship.
Each experience allowed DiGiorgio an opportunity to affect change. But to do so on a larger scale, she looked to Local First, a 501c(6), membership-based organization. There was an open position for a managing director.
“I thought it would be an interesting fit for me and give me an opportunity to reach outside the conservation field into the economic development world, specifically supporting local, independent businesses,” DiGiorgio said. “People thought that Local First had a tremendous amount of potential. I had no idea how much fun it would be.”
Nine board members placed several objectives on the new managing director, including increasing business engagement and growing the organization. DiGiorgio strengthened several ongoing initiatives, such as the Be Local Coupon Book and Noel Night. She collaborated with other local business owners and leaders of other business organizations, such as Durango Chamber of Commerce, Business Improvement District and Durango Area Tourism Office.
“One of my strengths, I think, is just being able to take a vision that the community has and make it happen,” she said.
DiGiorgio helped establish the Durango Creative District, form the Southwest Health Alliance and convinced the city of Durango to adopt goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support renewable energy.
In 2019, the board of directors created Local First Foundation, a community-based 501c(3) nonprofit organization, and promoted DiGiorgio to executive director. She said the purpose of forming the foundation was to broaden the public mission around local self-reliance, building an economy that values people, the planet and prosperity for everyone.
“The foundation allows us to build out what it means as an individual to take part in supporting your community,” DiGiorgio said. “The Local First mission is really aligned with my value system, so it doesn’t feel like a job. It’s super inspiring and motivating because anytime I succeed in my work, the impacts are beyond myself or Local First.”
DiGiorgio said there are so many good causes in Durango, and the biggest challenge for Local First Foundation is growing its initiatives and educating community members about the importance of local self-reliance. It takes a remarkable work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit to succeed in the nonprofit sector, and DiGiorgio is brimming with both.