CASSIDY ZEHNDER

DEVELOPMENT OPERATIONS COORDINATOR 

Cassidy Zehnder is the Development & Operations Coordinator at Project Coyote, maintaining the organization’s database and assisting with communication efforts. With years of experience in the nonprofit sector, she uses data, communications, and stewardship to get people excited and involved in Project Coyote’s special mission.

Cassidy grew up in a family that valued a connection to nature, from visiting animal sanctuaries to hiking in the Smoky Mountains. She moved to Southern New Mexico in 2023 to be closer to wildlife! Her passion for animals, both domesticated and wild, pushed her to recently volunteer in Cusco, Peru where she advised local shelters and rehab centers on how to conduct outreach, ethically fundraise, and maintain their cultural values while updating protocols on care for animals.

While Cassidy has volunteered for animal advocacy organizations, her formal employment has been in the economic justice sector, fighting for financial inclusion within the U.S. and abroad. She is excited to work in the wildlife space now, and doesn’t see an obvious disconnect between the two causes. When people are financially empowered, the security that brings allows for other facets of their life to open up: volunteering, donating, and advocating for nature-based initiatives. She has a B.A. in Spanish Studies and an M.A. in Philanthropic Studies from the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.

In her free time, Cassidy can be found volunteering with community cats, doing Doggy Days Out at local shelters, reading, trying new restaurants, hiking, cuddling her pets, spending time with friends and family, playing Dungeons & Dragons, or planning her next trip to Latin America.