Celebrate Diversity with Lilliana Trinchero
The year was 2004. Chris Askin was the CEO, and Margaret Stewart was the director of communications at the Community Foundation of Northern Nevada, a philanthropic hub for the community that connects donors to the causes they care about. The Community Foundation was just six years old at the time, and Chris and Margaret were busy building the relatively young nonprofit organization while developing new relationships with local philanthropists. That year, a recently retired Lilliana Trinchero was introduced to Chris and Margaret. It would end up being a momentous year for the Foundation, marking the beginning of a nearly 20-year partnership between Lilli and the Community Foundation.
As a successful businesswoman, Lilli built a thriving physical therapy company with over 300 employees across multiple states. Her entrepreneurial spirit and dedication to providing occupational, physical, and speech therapy programs to hospitals, along with quality care to patients, were evident throughout her career.
Having sold her successful company in 1998, Lilli knew that she wanted to give back. Although she initially considered establishing her own nonprofit organization, her advisor warned her of all the steps and hurdles she’d have to jump through.
So, nearly two decades ago, when Chris and Margaret presented Lilli with the idea of the donor-advised fund, she saw it as the perfect tool for her philanthropic endeavors. Through a donor-advised fund, individuals, families, and businesses make a contribution of cash, securities, or other assets. That contribution is immediately eligible for a tax deduction, and the assets are invested by the Community Foundation with the intention of supporting nonprofits over time. Donors recommend grants on an ongoing basis to support the causes and nonprofits they care about, leveraging the expertise of the Community Foundation to guide their giving decisions. Lilli notes, “It’s the best thing since 7-Up. Truthfully.”
Lilli started her own Celebrate Diversity Fund with a focus on anti-bullying and supporting LGBTQ youth. Lilli's dedication to this cause stemmed from personal experience. As a self-described skinny, muscular child, born of Italian immigrant farmers who spoke little English with little money for new clothes, Lilli’s childhood was far from easy, and she was made fun of as a little girl. Lilli was grateful for the support she received at home and worked hard to overcome the bullying by becoming an academic star, but the memories of that painful time would resurface when she witnessed her son’s friends being bullied.
Seeing first-hand the suffering caused by homophobia, Lilli realized that while “bullying impacted my life, the difference between the bullying I experienced and the bullying these LGBTQ kids experience is that when these kids go home, they might not get the support that I got.”
Through her fund, she promoted anti-bullying efforts in the Washoe County School District, and despite initial skepticism, Lilli, with support from the Community Foundation’s team, persisted. They collaborated with counselors, developed educational programs, and raised awareness about the severity of bullying. Over the years, this work gained momentum, leading to legislative action with support from Catherine Cortez-Masto, the Attorney General at the time, which improved protocols for addressing bullying in schools.
The Washoe County School District eventually took over these initiatives, but Lilli’s pioneering efforts helped improve the lives of so many youth. Since then, Lilli has supported a wide range of other causes, from a scholarship program for pre-physical therapy students at the University of Nevada, Reno (her alma mater) to the Child Assault Prevention Project, to the Dixie Fire Fund, and much more.
Explaining what she loves about philanthropy, Lilli says, “I was given the gift of being successful in my career and I felt that I really wanted to pay back my community. It makes me feel on top of the world if I’ve made someone’s life better. That’s what made me so excited about being a physical therapist for the elderly. It’s that connection with the individual that I love about philanthropy.”
While Lilli no longer serves on the Board of the Community Foundation, her impact will continue through her volunteer efforts at the Community Foundation and her Celebrate Diversity Fund. She has plans for her son to take over the fund, ensuring its longevity and continued support for causes she holds dear. Lilli's passion for philanthropy, driven by personal experiences and a desire to give back, leaves a lasting legacy in her community.
Lilli is very community-focused, with a heart for youth who identify as LGBTQ+, and supports educational programs to inform leaders, teachers, and counselors about topics of acceptance, tolerance, and diversity. She also gives generously to programs that have a large ripple effect, like the Community Foundation of Northern Nevada and other far-reaching organizations.
To find out how you can champion the causes you care about, visit the Community Foundation of Northern Nevada at nevadafund.org or contact Shari Netzel at snetzel@nevadafund.org or (775) 333-5499 x 120.