Sydney Finley

Sydney serves The Fund team as a Policy Associate on our Public Affairs team. In this role, she supports stakeholder engagement, our initiatives with Local School Councils, and policy communications.

 Coming from a family with an extensive education background, Sydney relocated from Louisville, Kentucky, to Chicago after earning degrees in English (public and professional writing) and political science (law and public policy) from the University of Louisville. In her hometown, Sydney spent much of her time volunteering for student programming coordinated by her local school district’s Department of Diversity, Equity, and Poverty. There, she deepened her understanding of the public school system and her passion for improving it, especially for marginalized student and family groups.

 Before The Fund, Sydney worked as a community engagement intern for a nonprofit specializing in local commercial development and revitalization. There, she wrote research proposals for recommended changes and additions to the organization’s equity policy.

 Outside of work, Sydney enjoys baking, singing, reading and writing, and trying new restaurants in the city!